Our Wellbeing with NESLI series brings you essential wellbeing tools and downloadable resources that enhance the wellbeing of teachers, school leaders and school communities. In this edition of Wellbeing with NESLI, we look at Recovery Rocket.
The Recovery Rocket model for maintaining your wellbeing is simple, effective and easy to use.
It was created by Andrew May (2010), an executive coach and former sports psychologist at the Australian Institute of Sport. May adapted his insights from the sporting world and applied them to the world of work. He created the concept of an annual recovery plan, to enable people to perform at their best.
Essentially, the Recovery Rocket provides a framework for maintaining a baseline of mental wellness over a year, and then reminds you to take time for yourself to do activities you enjoy – referred to as ‘recovery points’. It encourages you to make a ‘recovery plan’ at the beginning of each year, based on the model explained below and in this Recovery Rocket guide.
The baseline framework suggests you aim for the following over a year:
- 10-15 minutes of ‘slow time’ every day (going for a walk, preparing veggies for dinner, meditation, etc)
- 300 nights of good sleep (7 + hours of unbroken sleep) every year (if you can)
- 30 weeks where you accumulate 100 recovery points
- Three mini breaks (away from screens and day to day responsibilities)
- One big break or ‘off season’.
- Earning ‘Recovery Points’
You can earn recovery points in different ways that work for you. You might attribute 10 points to walking the dog, 20 points to doing a yoga class and 50 points to a one-hour massage. It is about choosing activities that you enjoy doing and giving them a number of points that relates to the enjoyment you get from engaging in them.
The Recovery Rocket gives you the opportunity to approach your health and wellness in a flexible, personal way that works for you. As we look ahead to 2022, now is a great time to get started on your recovery plan for the new year.
Downloadable resource:
Download the Recovery Rocket guide here.
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