By Diana Kim

There is a difference between recovering and not doing anything. Oftentimes, we think that it is in not doing anything — being a couch potato, lounging around all day — that we recover after a long day or week. While there may be a time and place for such leisure, this will not always be the optimal way to recover.

Gym enthusiasts know that you cannot excessively work out 7 days a week. You need to include recovery days. You cannot smash out personal record workouts every day without allowing your body to rest. It is during these recovery days that the microtears you made in your body during the previous workout heal, allowing you to become stronger. But if you work out without any rest, this will negatively hurt your gains and you are more prone to injury. Then does this mean that during recovery days, you are sitting around, not doing anything? Not necessarily. You should include restorative movement during your recovery day — this can include walking and stretching. You should eat food that will help fuel your body so that you can recover well. You should get good sleep, since this is when your muscles recover. If exercising is a regular part of your life, then you know that these aren’t practices you sprinkle sporadically during random seasons: they are themselves a part of your lifestyle.

Recovery is not just for the body after a tough workout. Recovery is necessary for all areas of our lives: my body, mind, and spirit all require moments, days, weeks, even months of recovery.

As many people can relate, the last few years have been quite difficult for me. Burnout, uncertainty, anxiety — my internal systems seemed to be running at maximum capacity, until I had no choice but to shut down. And by “shut down” I mean zero productivity — sleeping most of the day, barely responding to emails, not making any progress in my studies. My life came to what felt like a screeching halt, and while I know that it was necessary for me, perhaps there could have been a better way for me to approach this season of recovery.

While I know my body needs time to recover, I had forgotten that my mind and spirit also need time to recover. As I incorporate recovery of mind and spirit as a regular part of my lifestyle, I do believe that there are times when doing nothing can help. But there are other practices that can be incorporated to promote recovery. Just as walking can be helpful for physical recovery, I have found walking to also be helpful for mind and spirit recovery. I have found music and podcasts to act as mind and spirit supplements to promote recovery. I have found meditation and breathing practices essential for recovery. 

Mind and spirit recovery are not for the success or gains of intelligence or spirituality. Rather, recovery is for me to be able to function as a human being. Admitting to myself and the world that I need time to recover (body, mind, and spirit) means having the humility to know that I have not yet achieved maximum capacity, but also that I am on a journey and am getting stronger as I progress.

Diana Kim is a pastor of a local Korean church in Torrance, CA. Her primary goals in serving are to teach and equip the next generation to be passionate for Jesus and to live out His passion and care for the world. Diana is currently a PhD student at Fuller Theological Seminary and is majoring in Christian Ethics. Her current research area of interest is Asian American feminist ethics.