How much power does a word switch have in changing our behavior?

World renowned conflict negotiator Stuart Diamond says words matter.

When I had 5 part time jobs at once, I thought overworking was a badge of honor. Every time I finished driving the late shift for the university library shuttle bus, I felt I’d won the day!!! … because I worked until 2am…

Powering through became a lifestyle choice.

When you’re young with ambition, it’s par for the course. For some it’s a necessity.

And for none does it support well-being.

We’re designed for contemplation time. Rest. Reflection. For recovery from work.

At the heart of burnout is failed energy management.

• Burnout’s not just from overworking. It’s neglecting recovery.

Intentionally building in recovery is critical to our well-being —our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational health.

But recovery’s easily overlooked for one main reason:

• Voids get filled, almost automatically. So NOT doing —a tactic for recovery— can be difficult.

For high achievers, not “being productive” is a challenge, until we intentionally label “not doing” as a recovery tactic, thus ADDING it to our productivity measures.

For people pleasers, not doing may not feel like a choice, since there’s always someone who can use our help, and if WE don’t do it THEY might not like us.

For parents of a child with complex medical challenges, every minute of every day can EASILY be filled with doing for others while leaving your own needs out of the equation.

• When we build intentional recovery into our schedule we protect our energy by setting boundaries.

Scheduling an activity to land in our day or week makes it possible to become a habit because the more we do it, the more we reap benefits.

• And when we NAME a habit with an enticing label, it makes it more likely to happen.

What name might guide you to follow through on your plans by conjuring self compassion?

For me, prevention used to carry a lot of weight but not anymore.

For now, this new term from my colleague’s (Tabitha Leonard) post —recovery building— leaves me feeling enticed and motivated.

The important thing is to get recovery into your schedule.

When we use an enticing label, it can change it from being an option (like prevention feels for me now—no urgency) to a necessity.

• You want a label that provokes taking action now vs the future.

How might YOU use the power of words to give yourself the space you need to recover —to provoke action and prevent burnout?

—Julie 
www.courage-ignite.com