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As a senior executive of your company the thought of giving up in the last eight weeks has likely crossed your mind. The amount of work is BRUTAL. Handling investors and the board, directing your leadership team, revisiting and creating new policies…who wouldn’t need a break?
While going on a Caribbean Island vacation sounds heavenly, you know that’s not an option. So, we’ve put together a list of short break and staycation ideas to help recharge your batteries.
The amount of time you think you can afford may vary. But, no matter how long you can step away, try to apply these top 5 general principles:
Change of scenery…get out of the house. Everyone can get “stuck in a rut.” Routinely doing the same things day in and day out, especially when we’re in the same environment is a rut. Switch it up to break this bad habit. Do something different. Just merely getting out of the house can help.
Go out into nature. According to Psychology Today, getting outside can improve your physical as well as emotional health. A 50 minute walk in nature helps decrease anxiety and negative feelings, as well as increases positive feelings - while improving working memory (Bratman, Daily, Levy, and Gross, 2015).
Soak up the sun. According to Healthline, without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression.
Sleep as long as your body needs. Good sleep can maximize problem-solving skills and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function, athletic performance and increase weight gain. According to Craig Ballantyne, his 10-3-2-1-0 technique helps you “get to bed on time, sleep better, and wake up the next morning well rested and ready for battle. Sounds good, what are the rules?
10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.
3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.
2 hours before bed – No more work.
1 hour before bed – No more screen time (turn off all phones, TVs and computers,)
0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button in the morning.
Taking a break can involve as much or as little company as you like. What is more relaxing for you? Do you take a break alone, with family, or with closest friends? Let’s break this down:
1. Alone time
Can be most rejuvenating especially if you’ve been surrounded by people for weeks.
Give yourself permission to let go and be alone. This can accelerate the process of gaining your strength back so you can be all things to other people again.
Alone time can require an understanding spouse who agrees to take over your responsibilities for that time. As an incentive, maybe offer the same solo break in return.
2. Family time
Deeply connecting with your spouse and children can help refocus on what's truly important to you in life.
Feeling their love can revive your soul, rather than only feeling like a worker bee in a beehive.
Deeply listening to their needs can help you realize how you can best support them even as you return back to the craziness of work.
3. Closest friends
A glass of wine or two and the freedom to vent can be the perfect break for you. Friends can give you the feeling of being seen and heard.
You can participate in events together or pass and catch your friends the next time...it’s your choice.
What you can do if you have 1 day:
Alone Time:
Reading in the park or library
Get creative and bring out the arts and crafts
Revisit your bucket list
Get a coloring book and get lost for hours in filling in the lines
Go through old photos
Stroll through antique shops
Take a bubble bath
Family/Friends:
Board games
Picnic
Bake/cook together
Go for a hike
Camp with your kids in the yard or sleep over inside the trampoline (see photo)
Have a dance party at your house
Stay up late and discover star constellations together
Vacation at home
My nieces spending the night outdoors in their trampoline…
If you have 2 days
Alone time:
Rent a cabin with a stunning view
Book a luxury hotel to pamper yourself
Rearrange the furniture in your house
Family/Friends:
Take 1-1 time with each child and husband to more deeply connect
Finish a puzzle with your kids
Go yurt camping (no hassle with tents)
Get naughty with your husband
Plan your next big vacation, not even knowing when that might be
You might not have the time for this big family vacation this year but taking a break is a must if you want to regain perspective of your life.
My favorite way to take a break is to go street riding (yes, I said that) in the Georgia and North Carolina mountains. I’ve long had a love of riding and this completely allows me to escape, refresh and renew; to come back completely rejuvenated.
Taking a mini escape will not only
help your body get back into the parasympathetic nervous system
(i.e. your rest & digest state where inflammation reduces and your organs recuperate, including your brain), but will also allow you to feel alive and optimistic again.
Learning how to relax is important. We know you want to take a break and we’re here to help. Let us guide you into a self-care practice that gives you the breaks you deserve. As health coaches, our priority is helping you stay on track with your health goals; body and mind.
Our clients love their health coach's guidance as they identify what routines truly nourish them. To learn more click the 'Contact' button in the top right corner or simply send us an email to info@joyvial.com to schedule your free discovery session.