How Do You Recharge Your Batteries While on the Go?

To everyone currently on the home front—hospital staff, emergency and rescue teams, educators, wives of reservists, and the many others who are keeping the home front safe—this article is for you.

We know you’re expected to perform at 300%, run in fifth gear all the time, go from one peak moment to the next, and maintain the resilience of steel. Even steel needs maintenance to avoid wearing out. Resilience isn’t just about “holding on”; it’s the ability to recharge your batteries while you’re on the go.

Here are a few simple, time-efficient ways to help you preserve your resources over the long term:

1. The Transition Ritual: The Reset Between Worlds

The transition from one “incident scene” to another, the transition from “incident scenes” back home, or from a shift to a phone call from family, is critical.

● What can you do? Create a one-minute “ritual”: Everyone can choose a very short ritual that works for them. For example, splashing your face with cold water, taking one deep breath before getting out of the car, or changing clothes as soon as you arrive or before heading home. This signals to your brain that “it’s time to switch roles.”

● When moving between settings or switching between patients (e.g., hospital staff), give a quick nod to a colleague or send a brief WhatsApp message— “I’m going into a case/Room 7/difficult conversation,” and when you come out, let that same colleague know with a one-word message: “I’m out.” The sense of a safety net—knowing there’s someone “on the outside” who knows you’re on the inside—is significant and powerful. There’s no need to elaborate, explain, or process—at this stage (because it’s impossible)—the multitude of situations you’re in. It’s enough to know that there’s someone “out there” waiting for us to let them know we’ve “gotten out.”

2. The Grounding Technique

When the pressure mounts and you need to stay focused and sharp:

● The 3-2-1 Method: Look around you for 3 things you see and say them out loud, 2 sounds you hear and say them out loud, and 1 texture you feel (the steering wheel, the fabric of your uniform). This brings the body back to the “here and now” and immediately calms the nervous system.

3. "Box" Breathing (Box Breathing)

A tool used by elite units that lowers your heart rate in seconds:

● Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and wait for 4 seconds. Repeating this two or three times immediately lowers your physiological stress level.

4. A Diet for Resilience (Not Just Caffeine!)

We tend to run on coffee and chocolate when we're under pressure, but that leads to frequent energy crashes.

● Try to eat a “small serving of protein” (a handful of nuts, for example)—this keeps your blood sugar stable and prevents bouts of irritability and extreme fatigue. You might want to keep a regular “resilience snack” in your pocket.

5. Brain Dump

Before bed or at the end of a shift, when your mind feels overloaded:

● Write down in bullet points on your phone or on a piece of paper, or record on your phone—effortlessly and without needing to be coherent—everything that’s on your mind. Once it’s “out in the open,” your brain gets the signal that it doesn’t have to keep holding onto it in working memory, which allows you to fall asleep more peacefully.

6. “Diving” into Sleep: The 15-Minute Rule

When you're already in bed but your mind is still "at war" (racing thoughts, feeling on edge):

● Digital Dark: 15 minutes before bedtime—no screens and no news. Blue light and current events keep the brain in “survival” mode.

● Body scan: Lie on your back and try to feel the weight of your body on the mattress. Start with your toes and slowly work your way up to your head. This signals to your body that it’s okay to relax, and significantly improves the quality of your sleep, even if it’s very short.

7. Sensory "micro-recharges"

Sometimes the mind needs a different kind of stimulation to recover:

● One song: Put on your headphones and listen to one song you love (and only that one!). Three minutes of music changes the message transmitted through the nervous system.

● A familiar scent: Hand cream with a “homey” scent or a favorite perfume can serve as an anchor of normalcy amid the chaos. Soothing scents—lavender, vanilla, orange.

8. Accept the "OFF" with understanding

Fatigue, irritability, or a moment of emptiness aren't a sign of weakness—they're a sign that you're human.

● Don’t fight the feeling. Just tell yourself, “It makes sense that I feel this way right now; my system is regulating the stress.” Accepting this saves a lot of energy that would otherwise be wasted on self-criticism.

Remember: To continue supporting others, you must be willing to lean on others and ask for help from time to time.

Thank you for everything you do. You are the beating heart of our community.

Written by Keren Mifano—a medical psychologist, supervisor, and group facilitator who serves as the professional director of the Mashiv HaRuach program