# thoughts on post-derail respite

**URL:** <https://forum.beeminder.com/t/thoughts-on-post-derail-respite/11147>\
**Category:** Akrasia\
**Created:** [September 16, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/thoughts-on-post-derail-respite/11147 "2023-09-16T15:20:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![enbee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.beeminder.com/enbee/32/4796_2.png) [@enbee](https://forum.beeminder.com/u/enbee)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/thoughts-on-post-derail-respite/11147/1 "2023-09-16T15:20:07Z")

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i’d be curious to know what everyone’s thoughts and strategies are for post-derail respite!

previously, mine were as follows:

- 0 post-derail respite for a select few goals
- 7 days post-derail respite for most goals

but recently i’ve noticed that 7 days post-derail respite is hindering me more than helping … i just mostly end up doing _nothing_ during most of the respite period, as if it were a pre-set break …

so now i’m thinking:

- 0 post-derail respite for _none_ of my current goals [the ones that had it previously have since been archived; i would still consider it for similar cases, though]
- 7 days post-derail respite only for my e-mail-inbox-goals
- 1 or 2 days post-derail respite for most of my goals [ideally the same amount for all goals, simply because i feel like my brain would have an easier time remembering that]

i figure, in the _few_ cases where i really would need a longer post-derail respite period, like when i’m sick, i could just ask support to extend the flat line when i call non-legit on the derail, which i’d do anyway in these cases. (or, alternatively, i could just call non-legit multiple times in a row.)

i feel like my recent derailments have all been due to bad time management combined with lack of motivation, and the following 7 days post-derail respite had only the effect of me thinking “whew, goal green, don’t need to think about it!” for way too many days, thus ultimately making me _less_ awesome in the long run.  
(i don’t have proof, of course, but at least i _feel_ as if i’d made more continual progress with less post-derail respite.)

how do other people handle it? what’s your perfect number for post-derail respite?

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**Author:** ![poisson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@poisson](https://forum.beeminder.com/u/poisson)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/thoughts-on-post-derail-respite/11147/2 "2023-09-16T22:42:14Z")

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I feel more or less the same way. I usually manually ratchet after a derail by whatever amount feels appropriate at the time.