🔋 How to Truly Switch Off

Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: We’ve got something you probably need to hear: it’s okay to “turn off” sometimes. Why that’s so hard to do, how being “on” all the time hurts your wellbeing, and how to get better at truly switching off.

🌊 What Productivity Really Looks Like

If you were to chart your ideal, most productive life on a graph, what would it look like?

You might picture a line graph that steadily climbs up over time.

But that’s not how productivity actually works.

Real growth comes with ups and down — points where your graph plummets into deep valleys and soars to new peaks.

This truth can be hard to embrace. But it’s important to lean into those “low” points.

Think of them like pit-stops where you can refuel, or temporary obstacles that you can find your way around.

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at what you shouldn’t do during a slower season.

🥵 Why Forcing Focus Backfires

How many times have you told yourself, “I’m totally depleted, but I need to get this done, so I’ll just have to push through”?

Only to make a careless mistake halfway through? Or start over from the beginning because you forgot something?

You simply can’t perform at your best 100% of the time.

There’s a reason why athletes are taken off the court when they get injured. If they don’t take time to heal now, they might sustain a career-ending injury in the next game.

The same is true for your brain. If you don’t take enough time to recover from mentally demanding activities, your performance in the next game will drop.

Now that you know why you should treat downtime as non-negotiable, how do you actually turn off, even for just a few minutes? Scroll on to learn a few handy techniques!

📵 How to Actually “Turn Off”

🥁 Identify your natural rhythms

Track the times when you feel most focused, and when you hit slumps — then plan around these cycles instead of trying to fight them.

Your rhythms might vary depending on the day. Go with the flow and make adjustments along the way if you need to.

And if you’re not a morning person but are required to work or attend school in the mornings, be sure to plan some restful activities for your afternoons and evenings.

🗓️ Schedule your “off” days and times

Now that you know your rhythms, it’s a good idea to schedule your “off” times, the same way you schedule your work.

Here’s what that might look like in practice:

• Every Saturday morning, I’ll walk 2 laps around the park

• I’ll set a nightly alarm to remind me to journal every night at 9 PM

• To reduce my scrolling time, I’ll set up an automatic block on my phone after 8 PM

Brainstorm some of your favorite ways to “turn off” and create your own schedule! Set alarms or use a calendar to remind yourself to stick to it.

🏁 Know when to push, and when to pause

One of the best ways to know when to “turn off” is figuring out when you should be dialed in.

Here’s a quick guide — create your own version that suits your brain and process!

🧗 Push when:

• You're in the flow/zone

• You have a deadline

• You're close to the finish line

😴 Pause when:

• You're overwhelmed or stuck in a loop

• Your energy's crashing

• Your work quality is slipping

👯‍♀️ Find an accountability partner

If you’ve tried all of the above with little success? It might be time to bring in another pair of hands to help.

Spending time with loved ones is a great way to unwind and disconnect from the stress of everyday life.

Be honest with them about how you’re feeling, and your desire to switch off. They can help you respect your own downtime by checking in with you and cheering you on.

🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

• How to Turn Off Work Thoughts During Your Free Time (Video) — This 12-minute TED Talk explores how simple thoughts about work and responsibilities can sabotage your free time, and how to break the cycle!

• Unplug & Recharge Meditation (Spotify) — This 7-minute meditation uses visualization techniques to help you unplug from your responsibilities and take a short rest.

• 4 Tips for Turning Off Your Brain (Article) — If your head is spinning from all the noise in your head, check out this article to learn how to turn down the volume.

✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard

Flocus helps you get stuff done and romanticize the process. Set your top priorities with a simple task list, stay on track with a focus timer, and make your workspace a vibe with aesthetic themes and immersive sounds. Let’s make productivity fun!

With all of life’s constant demands, turning off can feel impossible. But it’s necessary for a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

How are you planning to switch off today, or this week? Let us know in the replies!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team

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