Oh how I love the holidays-fun Christmas music, skating outdoors, eggnog, those twinkly little lights and of course, quality time with loved ones. With so much to enjoy, why is it that we all look so stressed?
I have heard more than a few of my clients report “I just have to make it to the Christmas holiday and then I can recover.” There is a lot you can tell about a person’s belief system from comments like these.
Let’s take a closer look. What do we know about these clients’ belief systems?
-They believe self-care should be reserved for holidays/time-off from work
-They feel their lives are a race and that they must push themselves hard to get to the finish line
-Getting their to-do list done is more important than their health and wellbeing
-They know they are burnt-out but feel powerless to do anything about it until they have “free time”
How many of you can relate to these beliefs? Unfortunately most of us can because it is how society has conditioned our brains to make autopilot decisions-away from our health and wellbeing and towards work, money and success.
I always say that you can sure tell a lot about what someone values by looking at how they invest their most valuable resources: time, energy, money, focus and willpower. When you are not investing enough of those valuable resources in self-care, it can create major problems in your life, your health, your relationships, your work and eventually even your bank account.
The truth is that most of us are running on empty the majority of the time (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually bankrupt). We lack adequate balance between work and self-care, so when the holidays roll around and we have even more than usual to do (shopping for gifts and visiting relatives), it pushes us past our already taxed limits. The results being-STRESS.
You are reading this newsletter because you are a high-performer. Let me ask you a very important question my high-achieving friend-does this sound like a high-performance strategy to you? I didn’t think so.
I suggest you all take this holiday season to audit your approach to life and work. Ask yourself “how am I investing my valuable resources and what do they say about what is most important to me?” If YOU aren’t anywhere to be found on that schedule of yours, I strongly suggest you make some adjustments. Time manage your self-care. Prioritize your wellbeing. Carve out some ME-time between the end of your workday and those holiday parties. Doing so is the best stress management technique I can offer you.
Remember, 95-97% of our daily choices are completely automatic-that means you have to train your brain to make this shift stick. Set up a self-care routine and commit to it for the next month. I promise you that if you do, you will be ringing in the New Year with a lot less stress and a lot more energy to tackle those New Year’s Resolutions!
Remember to make every performance count!
-Coach Susan
PS-Stay tuned for a very special announcement in the up coming days. I’ve put together a FREE product for you guys that I am thrilled to announce. Hint, hint…it will help you tackle shifts like I mentioned above. It is my special gift to you this holiday season J
