Reflections: Recovery Training, Avoiding Burnout, Keeping the Sabbath
- Lisa Schaffer
- Jan 28
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
My January Reflection...
The new year started out with a very rare gift. Driving in the early morning on my way to work, I was thankful that the it was a clear day with the sun rising.
Ahhh! How beautiful.
Wait!
What was that?!
In a blink of the eye, up in the sky a huge flash of green light appeared.
Or did it?
Was I seeing something?
Was my retina detaching?
A small amount of research would point to this as one possible explanation:
A green flash is a rare atmospheric optical phenomenon that occurs immediately after sunset or before sunrise, appearing as a brief emerald-green sparkle on the sun's upper rim. It is caused by the refraction of sunlight acting as a prism, often requiring a clear, unobstructed horizon and calm, stable atmospheric conditions.
In that spilt second of green light, it felt like “my soul caught up with my body”.
It got me thinking of what other things are occurring if only we were giving our attention to a moment in time
Body - Recovery is Training
Early on in my training career, I worked with a client who was a police officer, worked nights and was a single-mom. Severely fatigued, the only type of training she wanted to do was high-intensity. Her adrenals were in over load. She needed to calm her nervous system. The last thing she needed was more stress.
Sometimes we mistakenly believe that if we aren’t lifting heavy, raising our heart rates, or “crushing it”, then we aren’t making any progress. Rather, we need to understand that similar to changing seasons, we also need to change; ebb and flow with the seasons of our lives.
Walking at least two miles per day with my weighted vest and all my other weighted vest exercises have been put on pause. At first glimpse of a touch of plantar fasciitis in my left foot, I've dialed back the workouts and have focused on what I can do to improve my foot i.e. stretching, bodyweight single-leg Romania Deadlifts.
Would I prefer to "get after it" and do the stair mill and lengthy treadmill work or do a lot of hex bar deadlifts? Of course.
Instead I'm altering my training. I'm giving my body and mind what it needs most in this moment - rest. It's a reminder to be aware of what season our bodies are in…let our souls catch up to our bodies.
Challenge for you:
Is there an ailment you need to address? Nagging shoulder pain? Knee that doesn't quite feel right? Mobility challenges? How can you honor what you need in this moment?
Mind - Be sustainably successful (avoid burnout)
I love this idea from the Stoics - you have to have strategies in place for being successful sustainably. In other words, do not burn yourself out. You have to know how to push hard and also to rest and recover.
Oliver Burkeman, bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, explained it recently on Ryan Holiday’s podcast. They discussed the productivity lie that keeps so many people feeling behind every single day. He went on to explain how the hustle culture quietly creates anxiety and why the goal of getting “on top of everything” is impossible.
Challenge for you:
Do you feel impacted by a hustle culture? Check out this awesome video on the Stoic strategies for success sustainably.
Spirit - Stop, it's the Sabbath
In last month’s newsletter, I talked about this great book by John Mark Comer,The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. One expression from the book that I absolutely love is: we need to “let our souls catch up with our bodies”.
What perfect imagery. It gave me pause. So now what? Well, I completed a full day of the Sabbath. Why is this so hard for us in the Western culture? Truth is, we have ALWAYS needed it. We were DESIGNED for it. Now, more than ever, we ALL need to do a Sabbath.
Let’s take a quick look at a definition of Sabbath and how I structured mine.
From Comer’s book: The word Sabbath comes to us from the Hebrew Shabbat. The word literally means “to stop”. The Sabbath is simply a day to stop: stop working, stop wanting, stop worrying, just stop.
I prepared for the Sabbath by “getting things done” leading up to that day. Perhaps there is a better way but this is about practice, not perfection. I set an intention for the day. If God designed the Sabbath, if He set this day aside for us, then it must be important. So I listened to scripture, specifically Jeff Cavin’s, Daily Reflections on the Hallow app. I finished reading The Reed of God by Carlly Houselander. I enjoyed a quiet meal with my husband. What a great day.
Challenge for you:
I honestly believe the best thing you could do for yourself (and consequently others) is practice the Sabbath. Pick one day a week to slow down, worship, read a devotional, spend time with family at the dinner table. Read Mark Comer’s book…and let your soul catch up with your body.
Quote I’m meditating on…
"Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet."
~ St. Ignatius Loyola
To your reflection and health,
Lisa Schaffer
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See my last newsletter Body, Mind & Spirit…
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