How To Recover After a Big Event

bigevent

How do you recover after a Big Event? I tend to minimize my need for rest and move onto the next Big Thing.

I wrote this piece last May and then forgot to post it! (Obviously I had waaaaaay too much going on.) 

How To Recover After a Big Event:

You know that thing you do when you have a huge event, so you push everything else aside saying, "I'll do this after the Big Event. I'll do this after the Big Event. I'll do this after the Big Event"?

Well, after the Big Event has arrived.

That sucking sound you hear? It's my calendar about to implode.

 My Big Event was Relay For Life, a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The event was ten days ago. I was unprepared for the absolute exhaustion I would experience when it was over. Maybe because I'm older and can't recover as quickly from one night of no sleep. Maybe because I have another Big Event looming in the shadows that needs my immediate attention. Maybe because I didn't plan any down days after the Big Event.

Perhaps your Big Event was a wedding, a job change, a family reunion, a personal milestone, a remodeling project, a completed manuscript, a college degree or a long-anticipated vacation. The Big Event consumed your calendar, your energy, your emotion, your time. You busted your butt, obsessed over it and spent every free waking minute focused on it and now it is OVER.

The Big Event is over and you find yourself depleted, out of gas, and struggling to make it through a normal day

.So, what happens after an experience like this? You're exhausted and depleted. You need a period of recovery. Achievers forget this so easily. You are groomed to be industrious and effective, but not to allow for recovery or transition between projects. - Sharon Teitelbaum.

Yeah, that pretty much describes me. You too?

Now what? How do you handle it? How do you recover?

1. Look Back

We live in a culture that tends to look forward. Achievers, especially, find purpose in the next big project, yet taking time to reminisce and celebrate what you have accomplished is important. Process the event with others and keep a visible reminder of your achievement - a photo by your computer, a shell from the family vacation, a framed certificate over your desk.

Last week I spent time loading photos from Relay For Life and enjoyed reading posts from other people who attended the event.

2. Look Inward

Recognize that you might be feeling a variety of emotions after a Big Event, including highs and lows, exhaustion and elation.

“It’s natural, too, to feel sad, disappointed, even depressed at the end of a big project, even one that’s a resounding success. The things we do define us as people, and the biggest things we do are the biggest part of us; losing them, even by choice and design, is hard." - Dustin Was

Be kind to yourself. Rest when you need it. Go to bed early. Do something therapeutic whether it is baking, gardening, watching endless shows on Netflix or getting a pedicure.

3. Look Forward

After you have had time to rest and transition, it is time to focus on the next event and plan some new goals.

Take a little time to reflect on your finished project. See how you might build on the success you’ve already achieved. Then get ready for the next big thing.

What about you? How do you recover from a Big Event?