I hereby declare 2023 as the year of the BIG CHILL. Let’s prioritise taking a break, having a rest and rebalancing!
Is it just me or are we working harder than ever? Are we doing longer hours or extra days at work? The rise of WFH (working from home) means our workdays are different now. Now, we often work different hours with fewer breaks.
For people who used to commute into an office the daily ritual of travelling to and from work has disappeared. While most people were initially glad to not be squashed like a sardine at the start of their day, I am hearing more and more these days that people are mourning the loss of that time in their day to mentally prepare before reaching the office and to reflect on their way home. Often that journey home signalled the end of the working day but now many people keep working into the evenings.
Too tired for fun?
While we are working more, we are having less fun. People often say to me, I had such a full life before the pandemic, buzzing around here and there but I can’t imagine doing all that now, I am just too tired.
The big chill
So why are we so tired? Why arent we feeling better now that the worse of the pandemic is behind us? Why cant we just chill out and enjoy life?
The reality is that we’ve all experienced some kind of trauma as a result of the pandemic. Some people have experienced direct trauma and all of us faced a threat of becoming seriously ill for a while. Our day to day lives were disrupted and we have also been repeatedly exposed to doom and gloom via the media.
This type of chronic stress can take a toll on our health. It can overload the adrenal system, damage the immune system, disrupt our circadian rhythms and make us seriously fatigued. Our bodies have been through a lot. It’s no wonder we’re so tired.
It isn’t until after the trauma starts to subside that people even begin to experience and become aware of the physiological aftershock. That is where we are now.
Accessing deep rest
We are super tired and busier than ever. What we all need to do is CHILL OUT! But have we forgotten how to chill out?
When your central nervous system has been on high alert for a while, it’s not easy to switch off and really relax. You may need to take a bit of time to get there. Obviously we recommend going on a retreat to help you with this – but you can also take steps each day to get to a place where you can deeply rest and recover.
Please take a moment to think of a time when you were really relaxed and chilled out. Where were you? Recall as much as you can from that time.
Tools to calm
Often you need to do something active before you can rest. It goes without saying that some time in nature is absolutely the best tonic (and it’s scientifically proven too) so if you can get outside and walk or swim, sit by the sea or under a tree. When you are home are ready to settle try some our tools below:
Try a restorative yoga class
How about some yoga on your sofa?
Try a sound journey
We also recommend listening to a nidra or relaxation session or trying a short meditation. We are big fans of Calm, which is full of resources to help you improve your mental and physical health and find a place of deep rest.
Creating a new habit
I think a lot of us (myself included) may have got into some bad habits during the pandemic. Now it is time to turn that around. Can you form some new healthy habits? Here is my to do list for you!
- Spend 15 minutes a day in nature
- Increase your non working hours
- Go to bed earlier (why not have a sleepy tea too)
- Have more fun!
