Rebooting vs Restarting.

by

EleVen by Venus

plugged in.

I’m a tremendous believer in taking intermissions.

I use them as a self-mandated, grown up timeout and they work for me.

In the same manner breaks during theater offer us opportunity to sift through/ponder what we’ve seen, intermissions in life provide stopping of activity with intent to connect with ourselves.

Lately, however, these mini-breaks haven’t been enough.

I’ve paused long enough to facilitate slow winding down before sleep.

I’ve disconnected for periods of time in order to re-connect with my mission.

I’ve pinpointed precisely what helps me maintain balance in the world so I stand strong on and off the mat.

I still find myself running at a sluggish pace.

And, even if that’s just a slower speed for energetic-me, it feels stagnant and slightly off.

still plugged in.

No matter your politics or passions these past weeks have been exhausting.

The most apolitical among us have found it hard to avoid experiencing the anger and frustration due to the fact it’s seemingly everywhere right now.

As these emotions have begun to sap my energies I’ve concluded what I need is something longer than a meditative intermission and jarring enough that when I return to the world I’ve refound my footing.

In addition, being a woman who works in social media and spends the bulk of her time fighting with technology, the more I reflected on my general state the more it reminded me of my old, slow laptop computer.

When my laptop grows sluggish and I don’t know how else to fix it I either reboot or restart.

Rebooting is specific and intentional.

The majority of the time I feel confident this will solve my problem.

Restarting is vague. It can refresh, but there’s no complete shutdown.

This approach tends to be a crap-shoot. Sometimes it fixes what ails the Mac, other times the problem remains.

As I stared at my laptop’s blank screen and considered how emotionally depleted I felt I knew the answer for us both was the same: reboot.

It was time to force quit what’s currently happening and relight my own damn spark (a.k.a. plug myself in) only after the requisite waiting period.

Right now a restart would not be enough in the same way an overhaul would be too much.

I don’t desire to change the entirety of the computer my world simply the way it is currently operating.

And you?

  • Have you felt depleted by life lately? 
  • Which do you think would benefit you most: a soft restart or a full-on reboot?

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Comments

  1. Restart here.
    I need a complete shutdown in hopes when I read configure everything in the world looks largely different.

  3. I don’t think I need either. I think I need a complete overhaul in and changed to how my world looks right now!

  6. The full on reboot won’t happen until i retire. Restarts will have to do until then.

    By the way, about flowers — i do not have a green thumb, so i enjoy everyone else’s flowers without having to worry so much about taking care of them!

  7. Ohhhh yes. The internet has been a scary place lately, a slap in the face reminder of the world we live in today. I’ve been unplugging a lot more lately. Getting outside, getting lost in the woods, spending time on the floor playing board games with my kids…anything I can to be away from the overwhelming internet. Reboots are completely necessary.

  9. I might need both. Goodness. I wish we lived next door to each other so I could be inspired by you on the regular in a super close but non-stalkery kinda way.

    <3

  10. I have doing a very slow system scan and soft restart… and I think it is helping although there are still a few pesky background programs in need of a shut down.
    Great analogy – thanks for the smile today!!

  12. Love the analogy. I am in need of something in the middle. Minor surgery has provided me with mandatory week off from exercise. The nature of my work (marketing consultant) has me currently in-between jobs. Sometimes being forced to sit back and reevaluate where we are, while harder then choosing to do so, is the best for us.

  14. I need a reboot. The last couple months have been draining.
    I don’ t think a restart will do it.
    I am taking a course in Feb. – maybe that will be the reboot I need.

    As always, great food for thought Carla!

  15. Definitely reboot! A few days in beautiful Banff, Alberta did it for me. Now I’m back on track!

  19. I’ve recently made (or still making) some decisions re life… what I think I have to do vs what I actually have to do. I talked recently about my arbitrary rules and love of to-do lists and have a half-written post of about 2000 words!!!!) which references your ‘routines’ post (about your catch up with your friend and your sister).

    I’ve been mulling it all over and reminding myself I made some big life changes 4yrs ago for certain reasons and maybe I need to rethink some of the goals I’ve set or things I thought I’d do. (I know it doesn’t make sense, which is what the post is wallowing in my drafts folder!)

  22. Sorry, Carla!

    I refuse to be caught up in this political game, and side stepped it years ago. I understand the system very well, and it was because of that understanding that I chose to not play their game. I put my efforts into my day to day world with people that I can live a kinder, gentler world with and I’m fair and balanced this way. For those that want to live their lives with a Breaking News banner running through their minds 24/7, I say, knock yourself out, because it will.

  24. I am pleasantly depleted at the end of a long work day (we just had conferences and I flitted back and forth between teachers for about 26 of my 50 kids on my caseload)- it’s also energizing at the same time knowing you are appreciated, part of a team and doing things for kids that need so much help. I am currently the Energizer Bunny….so just need batteries replaced every so often.

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