I had a friend pose this question the other day:
The kids are at my parent's house for the day. Do I recoup or get things done?
He was torn between two realities. The first is that he needs to recoup. These times are tough. We have no space. Sure, we might be isolated but isolation revokes the notion of space. He needs to engage in activities that will recharge his whole self.
The second reality is that he has a (now) unique opportunity to get things accomplished. This far into a pandemic, the list that was whittled down, is growing again. The excitement of opportunity has become drudgery. Yet, as a type A “get things done” type of person, he was driven to accomplish.
What to do? Recoup or accomplish?
Here is the strategy that worked for him: schedule the recoup time.
Give yourself permission to spend two hours doing the things that refill you. If you start to feel pulled to your to-do list, look at your schedule and see that this time is set aside for recoup. The accomplisher in you will be satisfied.
The bottom line is that care of yourself will enable you to accomplish.