The shops have closed for winter, but haven't yet re-opened their doors for summer. Winter has officially gone but summer hasn't quite yet arrived.
May is the in-between month in the ski industry, and it's a natural break to take some downtime. After a jam-packed winter, we're embracing this lull with a bit of downtime to recharge our batteries.
There is growing evidence that your brain needs downtime to be creative and successful. And that it's not about the amount of downtime you have, but how well you use it. Here are some of the ways we make the most of our downtime, and you can too.
Sometimes we're moving so fast, that we forget to reflect on where we're at. Here at New Gen we always take time in May to reflect on the past season. What went well? What could we do better next season?
It's important to take stock of where you are so that you can improve going forward. If you're too busy churning the wheels, you won't double-check that you're heading in the right direction. It's also an opportunity to look back on the things you've accomplished, and give yourself a pat on the back.
A winter filled with skiing, snow shovelling, and cold weather can take its toll. Not to mention the après ski, late evenings, and non-stop powder chasing we embarked on this winter. A winter season inevitably leads to a lack of sleep. So we're using this time to take a few naps, have some lie-ins, and head to be early.
There are long lists of the benefits of sleep, so hopefully, you don't need too much convincing. Your boss might not appreciate you turning up late or snoozing in your office in the afternoon, but that's why we have weekends, right?
Many of us head back home after the lifts shut, and reunite with family members we haven't seen in a while. We share stories and spend quality time once everything else has paused in life. So spend some of your downtime with your family members. We definitely never regret it.
While everything is calm, we get together as a team and not only reflect on the past season, but look ahead and start preparing for next winter.
Spend some of your downtime thinking about what's coming up in life. What do you want to achieve, improve upon, or experience in the coming months or year?
Do you ever feel guilty for not having a "productive" day? We definitely have. Turn off that voice in your head, and allow yourself to do nothing. The busyness of life can make you think if you're not "productive", it's wasted time. But actually, your brain needs rest to make sense of what it's recently learned.
Perhaps it's a walk without your iPhone. Maybe it's a long, leisurely lunch. Or it's just sitting on the sofa, doing nothing, absolutely guilt-free.
Life can't - and shouldn't - move at 100 miles per minute, 365 days a year. There are natural ebbs and flows to life and it's important to take advantage of those quieter times.
If you don't have a natural pause in your year to take some downtime, make time for it. Getting more sleep, going on holiday, and taking regular breaks throughout your day-to-day to give your brain a boost.
Know someone who's in need of some downtime? We'd love it if you shared this article with them.