{"id":2010,"date":"2019-11-30T09:51:57","date_gmt":"2019-11-30T14:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/?p=2010"},"modified":"2020-02-01T18:37:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-01T23:37:00","slug":"take-time-to-recharge-3-strategies-to-be-more-productive-every-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/take-time-to-recharge-3-strategies-to-be-more-productive-every-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Time to Recharge: 3 Strategies to Be More Productive Every Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Life as a resident physician is hectic. Whether you\u2019re working 80+ hours a week, performing CPR, or standing in the operating room for 12+ hours a day, the work can be challenging and downright exhausting. I\u2019m five months into my psychiatry residency training program, but sometimes it feels like years have passed. Personally, I find that in order for me to be the most productive version of myself every day, I have to take time to recharge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might not be in residency, but I\u2019m sure you can relate to the draining nature of a demanding job or graduate school program. The hustle and bustle of the modern-day work-life often leave little room for rest and relaxation. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2016\/07\/the-data-driven-case-for-vacation\">research shows<\/a> that it is essential to take time to recharge, otherwise you put yourself at risk of burning out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019ve mastered work-life balance, yet. But I definitely feel as though I\u2019ve taken steps to get me close to that goal. To do so, I\u2019ve used some of the following strategies to take time to recharge. Prioritizing rest and relaxation allows me to be more productive every day &#8211; in my professional and personal lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prioritizing \u201cMe Time\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the central parts of taking time to recharge is making time to prioritize yourself. Putting yourself first will come in many forms, depending on the type of person you are. For introverts, \u201cme time\u201d quite literally will involve you spending time alone. You might soak in a bath, enjoy scented candles, or read your favorite book to recharge. Extroverts might find their \u201cme time\u201d best spent in the company of loved ones because they are recharged by social interactions. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, taking time to prioritize yourself is healthy and will help you to be more productive every day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personally, as a social introvert, my prioritization of \u201cme time\u201d comes as a mix of the two above recharging strategies. When I feel as though my work has required me to interact a lot with co-workers and patients, I recharge by spending time alone. This alone time often comes in the form of writing posts for my <a href=\"http:\/\/www.atashajordan.com\">blog<\/a>, taking a walk around my neighborhood, or going to the gym. However, when my work is more siloed and isolating, I recharge by spending time with friends, either with a night out dancing or over a good meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your version of \u201cme time,\u201d it\u2019s important to pay attention to the activities that renew you. Once you hone in on those, make sure to make time for them weekly, if not daily!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"2159\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744.jpg?resize=1440%2C2159&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Take time to recharge\" class=\"wp-image-2013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?resize=1440%2C2159&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C450&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?resize=1025%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1025w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?resize=1366%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1366w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C1199&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02744-scaled.jpg?w=1708&amp;ssl=1 1708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Make Time for the People Who Matter<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a popular saying \u201cIf you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.\u201d In the rat race of life, it\u2019s easy to put your head down and grind at the task at hand. However, if you stick with this strategy for too long, over time you\u2019ll look up and realize that you\u2019ve lost friends and supporters along the way. So, in order to maintain healthy relationships in the midst of chasing after your goals, remember to actively make time for the people who matter. In the long run, these are the people who will continue to cheer you on as you reach for greater levels of success. Knowing you are supported and valued by friends and family has been shown to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=support+from+friends+leads+to+success&amp;oq=support+from+friends+leads+to+success&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33.7329j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">linked to future success<\/a>. There\u2019s something incredibly special and rejuvenating about spending time with people who want to see you succeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn When to Say No<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to be more productive and have time to recharge? Learn to say NO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <em>no <\/em>can be a challenging word to get comfortable with. <em>No<\/em> is often associated with passing up on an opportunity. <em>No<\/em> can also connote being difficult to work with or noncollaborative. It\u2019s important to remember, however, that not all opportunities are for you. In the effort to recharge to maintain productivity in your personal and professional life, you must filter through the opportunities that come your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve discovered a great litmus test to use when deciding whether or not to pursue an opportunity. I ask myself the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Is this opportunity in line with my goals?<\/li><li>Does this opportunity supplement or distract me from my current work?<\/li><li>Will this opportunity connect me with people who can help me achieve my goals?<\/li><li>Is it feasible for me to complete this task to the best of my abilities, given my existing responsibilities?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If the answer is positive for two or more of the above questions, that\u2019s a great signal to me that I need to say <em>yes<\/em> instead of <em>no<\/em>. However, if the answers to my litmus test questions are negative, that\u2019s a sign that the opportunity I\u2019m presented with will likely be counterproductive to my ongoing work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years I\u2019ve learned that prioritizing \u201cme time,\u201d making time for the people who matter and learning to say no have all helped me to recharge in life and be more productive every day. I hope that these tips are helpful for you as you find ways to recharge on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts. What are some of your favorite ways to recharge? Are they different than or similar to my own?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\"><em>Dr. Atasha Jordan is an Ivy League-trained psychiatry resident and businesswoman. Read Dr. Jordan\u2019s inspiring <a href=\"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/about-atasha-jordan\/\">story<\/a> of discovering her passion and purpose as a mental healthcare provider and advocate. Feel free to send a message to Dr. Jordan <a href=\"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/contact\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\"><em>Photo credit: Harold Milton-Gorvie\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/afrotheman\/\" target=\"_blank\">@afrotheman<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Life as a resident physician is hectic. Whether you\u2019re working 80+ hours a week, performing CPR, or standing in the operating room for 12+ hours a day, the work can be challenging and downright exhausting. I\u2019m five months into my psychiatry residency training program, but sometimes it feels like years have passed. Personally, I find that in order for me to be the most productive version of myself every day, I have to take time to recharge. You might not be in residency, but I\u2019m sure you can relate to the draining nature of a demanding job or graduate school&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2012,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"It's finally the weekend which means you're probably in need of some R&R!!! My newest blog post discusses just that!\n\nTake Time to Recharge: 3 Strategies to Be More Productive Every Day\n\n","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[316],"tags":[312,319,193],"class_list":["post-2010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development","tag-increase-productivity","tag-professional-development","tag-residency"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/DSC02733-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1708&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9VPX9-wq","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2010"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2854,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions\/2854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atashajordan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}