Build it into the System
Mine is a 7 minute vintage Saturday Night Live sketch starring Rachel Dratch, Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, and Will Farrell. The four of them are soaking in a hot tub at the so-called Welshley Arms, with Dratch and Farrell as the frisky married professors Roger and Virginia Clarvin. They encourage business traveler Jimmy Fallon and long-time acquaintance Drew Barrymore to hook up for the night, but instead of the typically deadpan SNL skit, all four of the actors break character. They begin giggling mid-line, their smiles terribly suppressed, each of them present for their acting partner, but desperately embarrassed on live television.
I watch it solely for the comedy mishap. I watch it to experience the unadulterated mirth right alongside them. I watch this clip, and have been watching it for years when I need a little jolt of laughter. It brings me joy every time. Just in case you need to see it yourself, here’s a clip.
I go to this clip as a purposeful exercise in what’s called strategic recovery. Strategic recovery is planned, intentional rest that helps build resilience to stress. As Human Performance Institute guru Bill McAlpine says, “We only build resilience when we have recovery in the system.”
So what’s your strategic recovery?
- Do you do some push-ups after a long sitting session?
- After you drop your kids off at school, do sit in your car and meditate for ten minutes?
- Do you re-fuel with an apple at about 3 pm, when your blood sugar is plummeting?
- Or maybe you watch a funny video to perk yourself up.
Whatever it is, make recovery a priority every day. You create the time, you create the space. And whatever you do, don’t let life force recovery on you. When it does, that’s when you know you haven’t built it into the system.
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Photo by Drew Coffman on Unsplash
