Have you had one of those holidays where you felt really good? What was it that gave you the feeling? Maybe it was an exciting adventure, more time outdoors in nature, hanging out with people who are fun, taking time to do the things which give you a ‘lift’, or a sense of contentment, or peace.

On holiday you probably spent more time doing things that are in your ‘green zone’ and reduced the time in the ‘red zone.’ I was privileged to spend a week at a lifestyle retreat late last year doing just that, while learning more about what can keep me out of the ‘red zone’.

When we look at stress resilience, a key question to ask ourselves is, ‘Am I resilient to what I need to get done in my life?”. I’ve spoken to several people over the last few weeks who felt close to burn out at the end of 2019. As is often the case, they didn’t realise this until they slowed down.

So how can we be more resilient to what we need to get done in life? One way is to know what takes you to your ‘green’ zone. Is it nature, laughter, restorative yoga, meditation or something else? How can we make time for those things that restore us and bring us joy?

In the last blog I discussed how our thoughts can lead us into the red zone. Our relationship with ourselves is so important and is something we can control, although I know it’s not always easy. We need to learn ways to manage our thoughts and the internal pressure we put ourselves under so our internal pressures are less than our external pressures.

We make plans for many things, however do we make plans for our own self-care, or do we see that as an extravagance?

Having a plan to avoid burnout includes thinking about external pressure points in our days, months, and the year ahead. Here are some tips that may be helpful-

Book in those green zone moments in your day (e.g. say something you are grateful for on waking, savour that coffee or tea in the morning, walk to work, take a few deep breaths, read a novel instead of the news on the bus, listen to music). Doing something however small can have a ripple effect on your day.
Book in time in the week where you will be doing something you enjoy (e.g. a lunch date with a friend, a movie, a weekly yoga class).
If you know of an external pressure coming up such as a big deadline at work, build those things that fuel you into your planning.
When you do experience external pressures, ensure you give yourself recovery time.
Regularly review how you are feeling and keep a check on your resilience. If you find you are doing little or nothing in the green zone, or if you find prioritising your wellbeing and self care is a challenge, it’s worth having some one to hold you accountable. Engaging a coach can assist.

We all experience internal and external pressures differently, and often we don’t notice the build up in ourselves until it is too much. Learn to know yourself and not to compare yourself to others. Make your own wellbeing a priority.

Ava provides personal coaching and can provide you with a regular wellbeing check in. Investing this time in your wellbeing will improve all areas of your life and performance. We recommend quaterly sessions to check in and reflect on your life stressors and the ways you can handle them. Click here to contact Ava about packages she can offer.