Hard driving business leaders find it extremely difficult to unwind. Give them quiet time and their minds race with all they must get done. Many have embraced meditation or mindful breathing for short periods multiple times a day. If you are doing this, your future self thanks you. It is this daily practice that will bring you the greatest stress reduction over time.
Stepping away from work for at least 2 weeks each year has been a best practice for unwinding that was mostly lost during the pandemic. A stay-cation is hard to maintain as all the levers for work are right there. While some people get a lot of home projects done, it is not clear they unwind enough during a stay-cation.
If you have gone on a vacation away from home, and assuming you don’t have small children because there is no rest there, it can take a week to finally slow down enough to begin to unwind. Then you can enjoy the second week and actually begin to repair in your body and your mind.
How you unwind is another story. While many people find a week by the pool or the ocean relaxing, I can’t sit still even on vacation for more than an hour…unless I’m reading a really good book. I will be swimming, or sailing or find a place to hike. And, it totally relaxes me. I don’t need to stop moving on vacation, I need to move more than I can usually fit in while deep in work.
If this is not you, don’t do it. Do you. This week, if you have not already planned time to unwind this summer, make the plan. Just that first step will help you feel less stressed. You are not at your most creative if you are living in survival mode. If not for yourself, do this for your organization that needs a well rested, fully recharged leader.
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Photo of a couple relaxing along the trail in the Dolomites of Italy.