Restoration Nooks

One thing I've learned about myself over the years is that if my time and attention are occupied by socializing for extended durations without periods of privacy and solitude, I begin to feel drained.

This low-battery state manifests as a lack of motivation, an inability to attempt difficult (or sure-to-fail but still valuable) things, and even a reduced capacity to maintain beneficial habits and routines.

It's not good! But it's also unavoidable in some cases.

And though it's possible to establish supplementary reflexes and habits to partially counteract this effect—when I'm feeling wrung-out and unmotivated, for instance, I'll immediately (before I can talk myself out of it) hop up and do a little exercise, which tends to help—it's generally ideal to avoid falling into depletionary pit-traps in the first place, when feasible.