Building Resilience: 7 Questions that Help You Create Your First Personal Recharge Plan [Template Included]

Hi there,

Burnout, a pervasive issue in our modern society, poses a significant threat to our health and wellness.

In response to this challenge, I suggest creating a Personal Recharge Plan (PRP) that can provide you with a proactive approach to your health and wellness.

Each question serves as a compass, guiding you toward a personalized roadmap for recharging your energy, fostering resilience, enhancing your health and wellness, and ultimately, sustaining your healthy high performance.

1. What physical, emotional, and behavioral signs indicate that you may be experiencing burnout?

Burnout extends beyond mere stress; it includes chronic emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

By recognizing the warning signs early, you can take preventive measures to prevent burnout and more severe health problems.

Early intervention is associated with better health and wellness outcomes, so identifying these early warning signs of burnout make this question a great first step in the development of a PRP.

Example:

• Neglecting personal relationships.
• Forgetting and not showing up to my meetings.
• Double-booking myself.
• When I start losing focus on the big picture and get bogged down in minor details.
• Thought I responded to an email when in reality I didn’t.
• Closing my door in the office, all the other times my office door is half-open.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

2. What specific situations in your work environment tend to contribute to your burnout?

Understanding specific stressors in the work environment is critical to understand when you need to trigger and activate your recharging plan.

Additionally, by identifying contributing factors, you can advocate for changes in their work environment, fostering a healthier and more supportive workplace.

This not only benefits your well-being but also contributes to a positive organizational culture, reducing the overall prevalence of burnout for your colleagues too.

Example:

• Constant pressure to meet expectations and deadlines.
• The fear of letting my team down and feeling that I failed as a leader.
• Switching attention – when I am asked to do different things in a short period of time.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

3. For each one of those scenarios, what strategies can use to protect your well-being?

Actively engaging in problem-solving and seeking social support from your family and friends are effective coping mechanisms.

Developing strategies for wellness protection ensures that you have a toolkit of approaches to manage stress effectively, enhancing your resilience and ability to navigate challenging situations.

After having a clear response strategy, you can choose how to react when you find yourself in stressful situations.

Example:

• Delegate tasks effectively and prioritize strategic decisions over daily operations.
• Use project management tools to stay organized.
• Efficiently manage tasks using to-do lists and time-blocking.
• I’ll set strict boundaries on email and work-related calls.
• Turning off email notifications after 7 PM.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

4. What daily or weekly routines can you establish to recharge your energy?

Besides having situation-specific response strategy, establishing healthy daily routines can become the cornerstone of maintaining a steady supply of energy to cope with stress.

Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and mindful practices have proven benefits for your health and wellness.

By incorporating these routines into your daily life, you contribute significantly to stress reduction and create a foundation for sustained healthy high performance.

Example:

• Short walks to clear my mind – walk around the block.
• Yoga before work in morning.
• Deep breathing exercises in my lunch break.
• Journaling at the end of work day.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

5. Who can support you, both at work and in your personal life, to help you maintain your well-being?

Building a support system at work and in personal life not only helps cope with stress but also enhances overall health and wellness.

By consciously nurturing a support system, you not only receive assistance during challenging times but also contribute to your resilience and your ability to sustain healthy high performance.

Example:

• Assistance with childcare.
• An assistant who can help manage my emails and filter out non-essential tasks.
• Regular communication with my manager about workload and deadlines – some are really unrealistic and we shouldn’t promise them in the first place instead of asking for extension every time.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

6. Are there technological tools or apps that can help you manage your time, tasks, or digital distractions?

By leveraging technology for time and task management, you can streamline your workflows, reduce digital distractions, and create a more conducive environment that is conducive to healthy high performance.

Example:

• Tracking my health data on wearables.
• Setting reminders for breaks/stretches.
• Using productivity apps.
• Using scheduling apps.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

7. How will you measure the success of your RPR?

Feedback is essential for learning and improvement.

By setting clear measures of success, you can objectively evaluate the effectiveness of your PRP and make informed adjustments.

This iterative process ensures that the plan remains dynamic and tailored to your evolving needs.

Example:

• Task completion – how much I postponed or procrastinated.
• Feedback from family – last weekend of each month, we talk about how we coped last month and what we learned to do for the next month.
• [What would be your response? Feel free to email me your thoughts]

The seven questions provide you with a path to proactively prevent burnout and sustain your healthy high performance.

Recognizing early warning signs of burnout and smoke alarm can help you take preventive measures on time and recovery your energy before it is too late.

The heart of the Personal Recharge Plans lies in establishing recharging routines—a commitment to daily and weekly practices that replenish energy and cultivate overall health.

Building a support system becomes a cornerstone for sustained resilience and sustained healthy high performance.