Front-Loading Rest

Inspired by the article What My Sled Dogs Taught Me About Planning for the Unknown by Blair Braverman, we discussed the importance of pacing ourselves. Caregiving is a long, demanding journey, and conserving energy through planned rest is essential to being present for yourself and your loved one over the long haul.

Blair Braverman, a dogsled racer and writer, uses the concept of “front-loading rest” to describe a strategic approach to endurance—whether in long-distance sled dog racing or in life. The idea is that instead of pushing yourself to exhaustion and then resting only when absolutely necessary, you proactively build in rest early and often so that you have the stamina to sustain effort over the long haul.

In sled dog racing, this means stopping to let the dogs rest before they are overtired, even if they still seem full of energy. This ensures they maintain their endurance for the entire race rather than hitting a point of exhaustion and needing longer recovery time.

Applied to caregiving or daily life, front-loading rest means:

• Prioritizing breaks and self-care early instead of waiting until burnout forces you to stop.
• Building in downtime even when you feel like you can keep going, recognizing that endurance is key.
• Seeing rest as a necessity, not a luxury—just like proper nutrition or hydration.

Tracking Your Time to Make Space for Self-Care

Many caregivers feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to focus on themselves. However, tracking how you actually spend your time can reveal hidden opportunities to free up space for self-care. Inspired by this Harvard Business Review article, we encourage you to commit to a 30-day time-tracking challenge to gain insight into where your time is going and how small adjustments could make a big difference.

Why Track Your Time?

• Identify hidden time-wasters. Small inefficiencies—extra trips to the store, scrolling on your phone, or redoing tasks that weren’t done right the first time—can add up.
• Spot patterns that cause stress. Are there certain times of day that always feel overwhelming? Do you always sacrifice personal time to accommodate others?
• Find tasks to delegate. You may notice tasks that could be outsourced, automated, or shared with others.
• Reclaim moments for yourself. By being intentional about how you spend your time, you can create space for self-care without guilt.

How to Track Your Time (Without Adding More Stress)

1. Choose Your Tracking Method — Use whatever works best for you:

   • A simple notebook or planner
   • A spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel)
   • A time-tracking app (Toggl, Clockify, ATracker)
   • Voice memos or quick notes on your phone

2. Record for Two Weeks, Then Evaluate — If a full 30 days feels daunting, start with two weeks. Write down:

   • What you did
   • When you did it
   • How long it took
   • How you felt afterward (energized, exhausted, neutral)

3. Look for Patterns — After two weeks, review your notes:

   • Are there activities that take up more time than expected?
   • Are there repetitive tasks that could be automated or delegated?
   • Are you missing opportunities for rest or self-care?

4. Make Small Adjustments — Use your findings to:

   • Batch similar tasks together (e.g., meal prepping once a week instead of daily).
   • Plan self-care as a non-negotiable appointment—even 10 minutes at a time.
   • Ask for help with tasks that don’t require your personal touch.

5. Keep Adjusting Over Time — Tracking doesn’t have to be permanent, but it can provide a reality check and a roadmap to help you create sustainable caregiving routines that include you in the equation.