I am currently working overseas with my wife. She is my business partner, my 'numbers' guru, and my carer. The trip is for business and pleasure. (More the former than the latter for me.)
I asked my wife, what topic should I post about on Linked In today? Her response, "Do you never stop?" It made me think, am I heading down a path that I have been down before which ended badly.
Many years ago I was so busy at work that I never really looked after myself. The result, my brain failed and I had a 'little' meltdown. Burnout can hit anyone if we don't look after ourselves. Trust me on this.
I am working harder now than I ever have. And I don't really switch off these days, running your own business does that to you. I often find myself caught in the trap of responding to emails immediately, researching on the latest trends, developing new programmes, etc., etc.
So how do I know that I am not going to have another meltdown? I do things differently today than I did 15 years ago and I now ‘listen’ to my body (and brain). Here’s what I do to keep myself sane in these busy times;
1. I respond to emails three times a day. This allows me to relax knowing that I will answer all emails within 24 hours and there is nothing outstanding when I go to bed. And I can work in-between the emails.
2. I go to bed earlier rather than later. Sleep is the most important thing that you can do for yourself, bar none. If I miss out on sleep through the week I take a ‘Grandpa” nap in the weekend. Importantly, if I can’t get to sleep because my brain is racing flat out at night, I don’t panic. I might be tired the next day but it is not the end of the world, I will get through the day.
3. I exercise as regularly as I can. The benefits of exercise are endless and helps both your body and brain. Thirty minutes is a minimum, 45 minutes is the maximum. (I used to exercise for 1.5 hours every day)
4. I eat better than I used to. I have cut out refined sugar (almost), I eat more vegies, and I eat regularly. I drink lots of water but not too much so that I am flushing out the essential nutrients in my body.
5. I use lists, lots of them. This stops me from worrying that I might miss something the next day. Plus, writing something down engages the logic brain and removes emotions.
6. I talk, a lot. Socialisation is what we are supposed to do and don’t do enough of these days. (I used to converse with my boss via email, he was in the office next door.)
7. I have stopped worrying. Well, as much as I can stop worrying. The universe seems to work better when we don’t worry or panic. I works as hard as I can and know that I have done all that I can.
8. I listen to my body and brain. If I have an injury or get sick, I rest or go to the doctor to get it sorted. If I ‘feel’ like I should do something, I do it. Our body and brain are linked, and we need to listen to both.
9. I say sorry when I make a mistake.
10. I try to be as humble and polite as I can be.