It hasn’t rained on this desert planet for a hundred orbits. You’ve been waiting – patiently. Time had lost all meaning. Then, nearly without warning, the rains come, and the landscape around you explodes into a vivid carpet of blooms. You soak up the precious moisture and slowly come back to life.

Hitting the “pause” button and hunkering down for a while is an excellent strategy to ride out inhospitable situations. Whether it’s a big freeze or a long drought, stasis is a great survival strategy that is employed by many organisms on Earth: just think of the intrepid tardigrade, flower seeds biding their time in the desert, or the Mountain Stone Weta beetle which freezes solid in winter (find out more below).

Eventually, the situation changes and it’s “Go Time!” What has caused your lifeform to awaken? What hardship did it survive?

You may also simply have expended all your available energy and need a temporary rest. Nearly all Earth animals require a regular recharge – only, we still don’t quite know why or how we sleep.

Whether you’re awakening from a restful sleep or you’ve survived a disaster, here are a few ideas about ‘reboots’ to inspire you.