July 2022 Edition

July Theme: Regaining Focus after Time Off…

...how to use your ‘vacation bubble’ to get you back into work mode in a healthier way.

We are all aware of how important it is for us to take time off in order to pause, relax, and recharge ourselves (Yes, I’m talking about a VACATION!). Yet, it’s such a challenging thing to do for most of us.

Does this sound familiar??You work your butt off trying to get ready and actually walk out the door, of course making double (or triple) sure that your items are appropriately delegated. Then you work twice as hard when you return in order to get ‘caught up’!?I’ve even heard people say that they wonder if it’s really worth it since they feel like they’re working way harder in order to be able to take the time away.

I used to be one of those people.?In fact, there was a time in my life that I didn’t take a vacation for almost 12 years! <GASP!>?

When I did finally relent, pack my bags, go away and really disconnect, it was like I had been on another planet.?I realized what I’d been missing all this time – and even more importantly – I realized WHY it was so critical for me to continue to take the time off - carving out time for the things that bring me joy help me reset and recharge.

Summer is a popular time to take time away, either going on a trip, seeing your family, or simply unplugging for a few days.?This year I chose to take the entire month of June off and my husband and I spent the last 2 weeks of the month in Hawaii.?It was absolute paradise, especially since I didn’t even take my laptop along with me.

But often, heading back to work and regaining focus after vacation can feel challenging, almost scary (FOMO…what did I miss?).?And instead of hitting the ground running, it’s important that we take small steps to regain our focus and get back into ‘work mode – or as I like to call it, be able to work within my ‘vacation bubble’.

Here are a few tips to help us get back into the swing of things and still remain entrenched in that ‘vacation bubble’:

Keep your first day back meeting-free?- I set this boundary for the first day after any vacation or long holiday weekend.?No planned calls, meetings, or interruptions, other than emergencies.?It affords me the quiet, focused ability to plan for my week, catch up on emails, and get organized before launching into “go mode”.

Sit down and map out the week?- I make sure to carve out 15-30 minutes to map out the week.?I use a paper planning system to get clear on my top priorities for the week.?I get all of my upcoming tasks and to-do’s out of my head and onto paper.?I also include self-care and an emotional intention for how I most want to feel.?Then I add whatever I need to into my Outlook calendar.

Close out distracting apps?- Regaining focus isn’t easy when there are other distractions.?I find it helpful to close out other distractions, such as non-work apps and social media.?This way there is no room in your mind for any distractions, and you slow down the idea of wanting to check in on friends or your social media.?You can also allow yourself space to concentrate by putting on headphones or going to a quiet area to focus.

Write down your top priority?- I write down 3 goals or priorities on a note and put it in front of me so I can see these while I work.?This is part of a strategy I call ‘WIN’ where I ask myself, “What’s Important Now?”?This question helps me focus on my top 3 goals and ignore anything that is not aligned with these goals.?Stick to 3 priorities a day, set a 3-hour focus window, and remind myself to focus on quality over quantity.?If I complete these 3 goals, I then move on to my next 3 goals.

Create your to-do list the night before?- The night before I go back to work, I make my list of goals or priorities for the next day.?Setting the stage for the next day is a great way for me to get my head back in the game without being overwhelmed with all that I have to do.?Instead, I focus on small things to do to ease my way back into the workweek.

Block off time to answer emails?- Being self-employed and running my own business from home, whenever I take a vacation, I make sure to come back and list as one of my top goals or priorities to block out time to catch up on emails and prepare for my client sessions.?I find that diving straight in tends to be overwhelming, and it’s important to step back and get organized.?This allows for a sense of calmness and allows me to be in control without the overwhelm.

Address the small details first - The night before I go back to work, I mentally go through my first day back.?I think about details like what outfit I want to wear and what I want to have for lunch.?I also look at who I am meeting with and look through my client notes to help me remember where we left off.?This strategy takes me about 30 minutes in total.?This helps avoid any post-vacation stress and anxiety since I feel prepared and have things to look forward to on my first day back.

Allow yourself to say “no”?- I find that one of the simplest – and hardest – ways to refocus and reclaim your time and energy is learning how to say no.?And never is that more necessary or important than when you’re trying to regain focus after a summer vacation.?There are usually compounded requests, demands, and expectations when I return.?These demands, combined with my sense of responsibility, might compel me to say yes to every request and stretch myself thin as I attempt to support everyone well.?But simply saying no is enough.?Saying yes to everything is exhausting, and whenever that makes me feel guilty, I remind myself that my ‘no’ is someone else’s ‘yes’.

Carve out small breaks to reset?- Make sure to take breaks on your first day back. Walk, exercise, implement a PQ daily practice, or mindfulness technique into your day.?When we need to catch up, it’s easy to get too engrossed, and things become overwhelming or even mundane the next day.?Try not to overwork; otherwise, you can feel stressed out and quite frustrated.

Take notes?- Before I disconnect for a vacation, I make notes of any emails I need to reply to when I get back.?When I return, I’m able to refocus my energy since I include these notes into my goals/priorities.?This strategy saves me time by taking the guesswork out of where I left off and what needs my attention after enjoying a relaxing and recharging vacation.

Give yourself grace?- Be kind to yourself in the transition.?I find it helpful to do things like go barefoot, or wear flip flops the first few hours of the day, bring flowers to my office desk, and keep my vacation pictures handy.?Try to hang onto that feeling that life is to be enjoyed as long as possible.?Set mini goals for yourself to get through that first day.?Address your highest priority issues and get a start on the next highest priority.?Schedule time to review your emails.?Take a walk for a few minutes and let yourself remember what you were doing this time last week.?Log off, leave at a reasonable hour, and get a good night’s sleep.?You’ve made it through your first day back – and you’re (hopefully) still in your ‘vacation bubble’.

What other tips do you use when re-engaging with work after your restful vacation?

What's New?

I took the entire month of June off!?First time EVER!?And what a difference it’s made in my ability to relax, focus on myself, my family, my business, and truly rejuvenate myself – mind, body, and soul.?My husband and I spent the last 2 weeks of the month in Hawaii on the Big Island and rather than playing tourist, we totally chilled out.?Our days consisted of moving from the pool to the private beach and back to the pool.?Our youngest son and his girlfriend flew in from Detroit to join us, and together we all celebrated my son’s birthday, Father’s Day, and our 20th Anniversary!?It was truly paradise on earth and one of our best vacations ever.

June 28th kicked off our current 8-Week Positive Intelligence (PQ) Program.?It’s a great group of people and the vulnerability and trust that they have built together is allowing such incredible depth and support in our discussions.?It’s so fulfilling to be walking the walk with this Pod!

PQ Pod Participant Comment: "Today I noticed myself stopping to enjoy moments that I'd normally have rushed through. Before starting PQ, I often found myself wishing for the next thing, whatever that was. The next meal, the next party, the next meeting, the next deadline. I never felt satisfied. Today, I truly felt happiness in small moments with my family...I am patiently looking forward to seeing the results at the end of our 8 weeks, but I'm in no hurry to get there." -Ashley Ludlow,?Creative Business Strategist | Keynote Performer

?NOTE:?There are?only 2 more 8-Week PQ Programs Available in 2022! ???Register Today ?for the August 30?Group or November 1?Group OR Contact me ?for more information

- OR- Contact me ?for more information

I am now part of the Positive Intelligence Marketplace which matches interested companies with Certified Positive Intelligence Coaches.?As a result, I have received inquiries from a few organizations who are interested in working with me to help build and support their high-performing teams.?After the foundational experience, the app modules enable a team to assess their strength on?the?4 Pillars required for maximal team performance and wellbeing:?Triple Purpose, Earned Trust, Healthy Conflict, and Mutual Accountability.?If you know of an organization or team who may be interested, please?contact me ?for more information.

For those who have been following my self-care journey, I have made tremendous progress.?My back and hip are not completely healed, however, I’m far healthier thanks to my consistent daily habits (not to mention my amazing acupuncturist and chiropractor).?It’s been a SLOW recovery process.?Giving myself the time and space to recalibrate my nervous systems and regain a sense of control is critical to my mindset and my ability to deal with this continued stress.?It has required a shift from the focus on performing in spite of my situation to intentional focus on my self-care.?If you are in a similar situation, there are 7 kinds of rest I encourage you to embrace:

PHYSICAL rest?– is any activity that releases tension and restores calm to the physical body.?Active rest is also critical to our wellbeing, with movement being one of the most important forms of rest for our bodies and minds.

MENTAL rest – any activity that clears your mind, quiets your thoughts, and helps to put things into perspective.?Our brains can only focus with intensity on cognitively demanding tasks for 90 minutes.?Taking a regular brain break by shifting from a heavy cognitive task to a create outlet such as playing an instrument, painting, drawing, taking a walk or run, taking a short nap, or reconnecting with a friend or loved one can help us back to the task at hand refreshed and with renewed focus.

SENSORY rest – reducing the amount of sensory sights, sounds and smells you are subjected o by changing your environment.?Step away from technology and the blue light that is so destructive to our eyes and ability to sleep.?Unplug or turn off electronics, stay away from gadgets for at least an hour before sleep, and make our bedroom a sanctuary by removing clutter and lowering the lights.?Meditation can also help to short circuit the sensory overload.

CREATIVE rest?– is any activity that exposes us to something unstructured and unproductive, like doing easy arts and crafts, or simply sitting comfortably and watching nature.?Take time to appreciate time alone.?Wasting time well is critical to replenishing our energy reserves, as our brains use 10 times the energy of our bodies.

EMOTIONAL rest – giving ourselves time to examine the emotions we are feeling without judgement can help us navigate through them much more easily.?Negative emotions are an important part of the human experience; they key is not to become paralyzed by them.?Labeling the emotion shifts our locus of control, particularly when dealing with others.?Thinking “I am feeling irritable” versus “They are irritating me” can help us remove judgement and take back control of our emotional response to situations.

SOCIAL rest – surrounding ourselves with people who are positive and supportive and avoiding those who bring negativity and criticism into our lives lets us be our authentic selves.?Finding our community of supporters who will be there in good times and bad creates a support structure that we can lean on in difficult times.?Taking the time to focus on those whom we are grateful for can help us to feel more positive and optimistic.

SPIRITUAL rest – adding prayer or meditation to our daily routing connects us more closely with aa greater power and helps us to be at peace with our place in the universe.?It can also do wonders for our minds and bodies.?The sense of awe that a spiritual practice creates curbs our flight/flight/freeze response, reducing cortisol production and?creating an anti-inflammatory response in our bodies by reducing cytokines, the proteins that promote inflammation.?Practicing this form of mindfulness also takes us off autopilot, makes us more present, and connect us to others at a deeper level.

Consciously shifting our perspective to create optimistic neural pathways takes repetition, practice, and persistence.?The more we can nurture our recovery from stress by practicing the 7 steps of rest our minds and bodies need, the more capable we are of avoiding and overcoming chronic stress and burnout.

“While riding the wave of life you must also practice stillness so you can flow with, rather than resist the wave's motion.” -DailyOM

Read my latest blog about prioritization here .

Read my latest blog about the difference between routines and rituals here .?

Jeff Paine, Managing Director ps-engage.com

What's Next?

• Some of my one-to-one coaching clients are completing their individual programs, which means that there are openings for 3 new clients to work with me.?Once these spaces are filled, I will again offer a waitlist.?If you know of anyone who may be interested in the possibility of coaching together, please have them?reach out to me ?or let me know whom to contact.
• ?With many organizations holding Career Conversations / Performance Reviews over the next couple of months, it’s important to understand that there is more involved in that decision than simply your skills.?The Harvard Business Review has published a great article about this topic, and I spoke to it in a recent LinkedIn post. I invite you to check it out, especially if you’ve ever been told by your manager that you’re “just not ready” for a promotion.?I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic !
• 8-Week Positive Intelligence (PQ) Program ?–?There are?only 2 more 8-Week PQ Programs Available in 2022!?If you are interested in learning specific techniques and tools to strengthen the part of your brain that serves you and quiet the part that sabotages you, join our 8-Week Positive Intelligence (PQ) Program.?You will learn how handle life’s challenges with a more positive mindset, less stress, and boost your emotional intelligence resulting in immediate and sustained improvements in both your wellbeing and performance.

Contact me ?for more information -OR- ?Register Today ?for August 30th?Group or November 1st?Group

• I am thrilled to be presenting some Leadership and Team Workshops over the next few months on a variety of topics.?If your team, or company is interested in having me speak or present, please?reach out to me ?to further explore these possibilities.?I believe that an organization’s ability to grow and compete is wholly dependent on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of its people, as performance is the outcome of learning on individual, group, and organizational level.

“Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy

• On a personal note, Rod and I will be taking some more vacation time over the next couple of months and look forward to again exploring the driftwood lined beaches and outstanding ocean views as we escape to the?Kalaloch Bluff Cabins .? Another one of my happy places!
• We have also commissioned my niece, Jessie Whitson, to create a piece of artwork on our back fence.?She is so talented and such a joy to be around, not to mention the beautiful art she creates.?Normally she paints windows and signs for businesses, so we're grateful for her willingness to accommodate our special request. Here’s an example of the first panel, which she completed last weekend.?I’m so thrilled to now be able to look out my kitchen window and have this beautiful floral artwork bringing me joy all year long!?If you are interested in commissioning her for a project, reach out to me for her contact information.

Anyone who is interested can?Subscribe to my newsletter ?and enjoy?different perspectives, insights, and inspiration?about career, leadership, success, resilience, confidence, self-care, and bringing more joy into your life by aligning your life and career goals.??All free of charge and sent straight to your inbox.

HAPPY SUMMER! Here’s to time and space for you to decompress, experience mother nature, escape the ordinary, and enjoy your vacation!

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