To the holiday finish line
At this time of year I have noticed that people start behaving in unusual ways. Is it the artificial Christmas work deadlines we set ourselves? The pressure of Christmas Day itself? Or the endless social commitments we try to squeeze in? You’d think we were planning for end-of-life, not a joyous holiday with family and friends.
Ready, set, go!
My Christmas gift to you: three pathways to get out of fight-or-flight mode to regain control and composure.
At this time of year my clients are often feeling overwhelmed and in crisis. They aren’t taking care of their physical health or mental wellbeing and are feeling disengaged from their work.
It’s common that in the run-up to Christmas, I hear phrases such as these from my clients:
- “I am stuck doing the doing.”
- “No-one else can do this.”
- “I don’t have time to delegate.”
- “I’m a bottleneck for my team.”
- “I’m second guessing my decisions.”
- “I’m trying to stay in control.”
They know they want to make big changes to the way they are leading their business; to be more strategic, proactive and present with their team for example, but they can’t see a way out of their current situation.
When a person is in this space of overwhelm or crisis they are often experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety. Their body responds as if they are in danger, which is called “fight or flight mode”. When you are experiencing this, the part of your brain that allows you to think clearly, make rational decisions or control your responses is cut off. The immediate goal is to get back to safety.
If this sounds like you or something you’re prone to, now is the time to put some good habits in place. There are three pathways out:
1 — Ruthless prioritisation. There can only be one number one priority.
2 — Immovable boundaries around your time, based on your priorities.
3 — Create mental space, engaging in ‘circuit-breaker’ activities that quiet your mind
Priorities
Each day ask yourself, if I only achieve one thing today what do I want it to be?
Similarly, what will I be working on at 9PM tonight if I don’t get it done today?
A simple and helpful tool to prioritise is Eisenhower’s matrix. It looks at what is important and what is urgent. It can be easy to focus on the things that feel urgent at the detriment of what’s important, the things only you can do that your company and team require of you.
When you write your to-do list at the start or end of the day, make it realistic. Look at your diary and get clear on the time you have available. Allocate time against each item in your list, in priority order.
Boundaries
How much time a day or week can you give to each area of your life and your work?
Allocate segments of time, whether that is an hour or three hours to your life commitments, work time and individual pieces of work. Don’t forget sleeping, cooking, exercising and time to connect with people whose support you value.
If you can only give a task an hour, what will it take to get it done in that time? Be clear with colleagues how much time you can give them and allow them to prioritise how they use that time.
Space
What do you do that clears your mind or restores your energy?
Recognise that when you can’t think clearly things take twice the time and the quality suffers.
When you’re under pressure it’s challenging to summon your creativity.
See activities that give your brain a rest, inspire and energise you as work tools. Schedule them in before you go into a meeting or start a piece of work for which you need to think clearly or creatively. These tools may include going for a run, walking the dog, meditating, listening to a podcast, attending a networking event or dancing around the kitchen, singing loudly. Whatever it takes!
If you know you need to do these things and you’re not doing them, try starting with something really small and achievable. Embed it and then add to it. And if that doesn’t work, this would be a good point to meet with a business coach.
Hi, I’m Jennifer Clamp, a Founder Coach who works with purpose-driven female founders who are ambitious for the future and wish to bring their vision into reality 💫 ↓
Learn more about how Founder Coaching can be a liberating experience for you at withaata.com
