I don’t know about you but it takes me a while to unwind after an intense period in my business when I go on holidays and then I feel like I am in slow motion when I get back into things. I find it frustrating on both sides. I have recently discovered the key to not feel the frustration through an article that I was reading that really helped me gain more awareness as to why we feel this way.
Basically what it said was that this was completely normal and to just allow yourself to wind down and up the momentum of actions on either side of your holiday. For myself it wasn’t just me that was frustrated, but my husband also who seems to be able to switch on and off almost in an instant. I think it’s the men’s brain that can just do that so easily.
So what I have started doing is having a few tasks to complete on the plane or optional things if I feel I want to – major things are taken care of but if I am in the mood I can do optional extras as I wind down.
When I return I only plan for a half booked week rather than an overbooked schedule that exhausts me so much as my brain can’t keep up with the intensity having been on slow mo for a few weeks or even more than a month over Christmas.
I tend to also really rev things up before my holidays so that the momentum I have created sees me through my down time and I return to just as much buzz as when I left. If I feel like it I post on social media while laying around – this time around I released a Vlog daily which kept me top of mind with my tribe. This is not a bother to me, it actually keeps me stimulated and enjoying some action during the long relaxing days you have on holidays.
The other things I make sure I do as soon as possible is to get back into my home routine and eating well and exercising. On holidays I enjoy myself (this time I kept up my exercising 4 times a week) but I ate whatever I felt like. Back home I go back into detoxing from all the sugar and carbs and get back into lighter meals that are more protein rich.
I do my best to overcome jet lag, but I must say it takes me the good two weeks to recover from trips. I plan my working hours and appointments in the times I know I won’t feel sleepy. For example, coming home from Europe is a shocker for me and I’ve done that trip over 12 times now. I know I will be up most the night wishing I could sleep so instead after trying for an hour or 2, I get up and get some work done that is not based around appointments.
I the morning 5am I feel sleepy so I go to sleep till 12 or 1 and talk to clients after 1pm to night if I can. I then try to make up an hour a day to get back to the home time zone. If you have a remedy for jetlag I’d love to hear it. I have tried a few things that I think are working for a day or two and then it comes back with a vengeance on day 3 for the following 10 days.
I trust some of my insights have been helpful around revving yourself up after holidays in your business. If you do something different I’d love to know what it is as I love hearing new ideas on this topic.
Work Hard – Play Hard!
Love Nat x