‘It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.’– Rocky Balboa.
We all want to be winners, right? But of course that’s easier said than done. In order to win we need to first accept the fact that life is tough and we’re just mere mortals. Life is always going to try and knock us down, that’s its job. All we can do is figure out ways to cope with it and build up some resilience to it, bit by bit.
Sometimes life will succeed in its evil ploy: it’ll knock us out for a few days, or a few weeks, or even a few months. Sometimes we’ll burn out and switch off. That’s ok. That’s normal. We just need to learn how to use that switch-off period that we instinctively revert to when we’re feeling down, to our advantage. We need to use that time to repair ourselves.
During my own switch-off periods, I tend to keep my phone at arm’s length, I lose contact with a few of my friends, I read more, I do more exercise and I treat myself to a facial/massage/hair appointment, because why not? The point of this hibernation time is to revive myself, to feel like I’m on top of the world and ready for battle again. So essentially, during this time I concentrate on nothing but me, myself and I.
It may sound selfish, but hey, it’s got to be done in order for me to function as the best version of myself. I eliminate any distractions and stresses from my mind and focus on what I want and what makes me feel good and I take the steps to achieve those things. Everywhere I go becomes a STRESS-FREE ZONE.
Most importantly, I find that having limited interaction with the real world allows me to clear my head; I’m able to think rationally and see things in a new and different light. As a result, I’m usually in a better frame of mind to make certain big decisions or address particular issues that I may have been avoiding prior to my ‘detox’.
The fact of the matter is, life is stressful and taking a time-out every now and then is necessary if not essential for all of us. Nobody can roll with the punches 24/7, it’s not humanly possible and it’s ok to admit that. So if you feel like your eyes are about to pop out of your head, or if you’re certain that you’re seconds away from breathing fire, hit Reboot and stick yourself on charge for a few days. And then when your mind is cleared, get back on that horse! Good luck. 🙂
Just A Small Town Girl... 
This is perfect! I recently spent up to and over 24 hours off of Facebook entirely. I loved it! I’ve made a rule, once a week I will spend up to 24 hours off of Facebook entirely. No scrolling, no just liking things…Nothing! It felt so good…I don’t think it’s selfish at all, I think everyone should do it.
Good on you! Keep having your well deserved down-time 😀
nice rocky reference
Thanks Shitij 😀
Hibernation 😊 I like that you name ‘it’ hibernation. That’s a more positive way to put it. I do it the same way but my friends call ‘it’ my mood swings. It is so much necessary to connect with oneself, it’s like re-energizing. But most people just don’t understand it and think of Me as a rude person. I’m glad I’m not abnormal, as they put it. 😊 Thank you for this 😊
Lol no Hasmeet, it’s normal to zone out every now and then, we’d go crazy if we didn’t! But if that makes you abnormal, then I guess I am too haha
I love this!
Glad to hear that 😀
Very wise – we all need down-time. Well written….
Indeed we do, thanks for stopping by Cherie 🙂
To go along with your Rocky quote, even a boxer fighting in the ring has to take a rest between rounds. 😉
I do the same thing. When I feel like I need a rest from everyone and everything, when I hear that bell to stop fighting, I simply pull away and recharge for awhile. Then I hear that bell to get back in and go for it.
I love the way you worded that Gabriel, life is a never-ending boxing match! 😀
I love this!
Thanks Karan 😀
Great advice. “Stillness” is necessary for all artists, because that is when the best ideas come and find you. I do all of my best creative thinking when I’m running or walking the dog – any quiet, solitary activity that requires little of me mentally allows my mind to wander until I find myself somewhere fantastically fictional.
I completely agree with you, only good things come from taking a time-out and recharging your batteries 😀
Yes, whatever works best for you. A good nap will work for all of us.
Oh yes, I love a good nap! Thanks for stopping by Henry 🙂
Many people let unstable moods and out-of-control emotions control their lives. They think that nothing good can happen in their life. If this is me, then begin new today and start saying every day: “I’m going to do something great with my life!”
Do you need a mood elevator? The more I read God’s Word when I’m down, the more God lifts me up.
You sound like you’re on top of things and that’s great to hear! Keep up the positive attitude 😀
I totally agree with you there, I’m all about ‘escapism’ lol
Glad to meet a fellow ‘escapist’ 😛
It’s good that you can make use of your off time to your advantage. I have been wishing for some time off to repair myself and make love to myself, but now that I got what I wished for (plenty of time on my hands), I cannot seem to function well. I’ve been one month on my sulking around the corner and staying in the dark kind of time. I hate it. But I also can’t seem to love myself. In fact, the more time I have, the more time I have to hate myself.
This was a timely post as I am reading my way through rebooting and getting my vibe back.
Thank you for that beautiful quote. I will eventually put it up on my wall.
Thank you. And have a nice day 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you’re slowly getting your mojo back! Keep focusing on the positives and you’ll be back on the right track in no time 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I started logging out of Facebook more often, and I found myself to be more confident! Logging out of social media really does help you see things as they are
It really does, that’s why I always look forward to going abroad to places where there’s limited wifi, it allows me to switch off and appreciate the little things!