Elusive Rest

For many, the holidays are a time of joy, connecting and relaxing. They experience rest and peace being with family and friends. But for others, this experience is elusive. Sometimes the preparations are overwhelming, or that there are fractious relationships to face. While these may be true, the real culprit for not enjoying the holidays is their inability to turn off their stressed state. They haven’t learned to power down.

There is a reason for this. The mind-body connection has a key function to protect you. When you feel a sustained barrage of workload, expectations and deadlines, your body produces a regular surge of cortisol and adrenaline. These stress hormones heighten your alert system and remains until you say it’s ok to let it go. But you don’t.

Chronic Stress

If you are unable to power down, you develop a chronic state of stress. The scientists at Yale Medicine define chronic stress as “a consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.” And when you are in a prolonged state of tension, you don’t recover very easily or very well. Your stress follows you into situations where there really isn’t any pressure. Your stress becomes a state of being rather than a response to a situation.

So you enter holiday gatherings stressed, as if your ego or wellbeing is threatened. Jokingly, you may say it’s because of crazy Aunt Martha or creepy Uncle James. But that’s what you tell yourself to explain why you can’t relax and enjoy the moment.

And you are not alone. According to the 2022 Gallup Global Emotions Report, the US population experiences more stress than most countries in the world. Fascinating. Almost unbelievable. In addition, chronic stress is mostly the result of your work. Whether it is long hours, a heavy load, or an ineffective manager, your work situation can be daunting.

A Skill to Learn

This is why learning to manage your stress is an essential skill for professionals. One way of managing your stress is by learning to power down by slowing down.

• Slow your breathing
• Slow your movements
• Slow your thinking
• Breathe deeply
• Relax certain muscle groups that are tense
• Remind yourself that you don’t have to carry your stress everywhere

As you develop this skill, in a matter of seconds, you will feel stress released from your mind and body. I know this from personal experience.

Are you prepared to power down this week? Are you able to break out of a stressed state and relax? Commit yourself to enjoy the holidays and truly experience the rest and refreshment you need to finish the year strong. Learn to power down.