Are you someone that keeps pushing to work more, through one more weekend or one more late night to try and get caught up? Despite all the research I have read about the importance of taking time off, I still get caught up in this illusion myself. As hard working business owners, leaders, parents, and caretakers we all need regular time off to rest, relax and connect if we want to be the best version of ourselves with optimal productivity and personal satisfaction, but we don’t do it.
The common things we tell ourselves:
There isn’t time
I can’t afford it right now
I have too many others that need me right now
And they keep us stuck in the cycle. What we need are lifestyle pattern interrupts, things that can snap us out of the cycle of anxiety, depression, or overwhelm.
Our US culture of not taking time to rest resulted in the World Health Organization classifying burnout in 2019 as a syndrome from unsuccessfully managed workplace stress resulting in (3) key symptoms:
Feeling energy depletion and exhaustion
Feelings of negativity and cynicism of one's job
Reduced professional efficiency
We collectively tell ourselves there is no time to rest because there is too much to get done, yet rest is actually the very thing we need to be more productive and proficient. It gives our brain a chance to process memories so it can be better at solving problems, not to mention we are typically much more joyful and appreciative when rested.
I created Casa Alternavida to help people reduce stress, overwhelm, anxiety and burnout. After studying the habits of people like myself who have experienced serious health conditions and burn-out as a result of working too much I realized there are several key lifestyle pattern interrupts that can help bring back balance.
We actually created our holistic retreat flow experience based on the findings. Consider integrating 1-2 of these into your daily routine starting small, even just 10-15 minutes will generate results. I will provide more details for each one in follow up newsletters.
Our daily retreat flow is designed for a rapid re-set providing a series of lifestyle pattern interrupts that get you back to your center, fully resourced and ready to take on the world. Here is our daily retreat flow:
Morning movement, meditation, and breathwork
Priscilla guides you through a restorative movement series on the rooftop terrace while overlooking the national rainforest
Healthy, organic, vital meals (3)
Chef Ivonne prepares farm to table meals made of unique local ingredients full of vitality, nourishment and loving energy
Daily nature adventures
Ramon takes you out into nature so you can get out of your head and into your body, helping you become present. The exercise, time for play, and challenging terrain will help push you into new levels of empowerment.
Rest, relax, read, write, book a massage or coaching session
This is your down time, designed for you to integrate and relax
Afternoon Beach walk
Yancy and Honey will take you to the beach for time to walk, swim, play and contemplate the beauty of the sunset
So I am curious, can you think of ways to integrate things like these into your daily routine at home? If not, what keeps you stuck in the overworking pattern? I look forward to hearing from you.
Casa Alternavida was founded on the principle that there are healthier, “alternative” ways to balance life and work. This alternative is to stop the unconscious addiction to stress, overwhelm, and struggle to focus on a healthy, balanced lifestyle that yields better results. Our practitioners are trained to support you with unraveling those unconscious commitments so you can actively create the lifestyle you want to be living, take charge of your well-being, and reset bad habits. We are experts at creating playful experiences in nature that inspire deep personal insight and long-term positive behavior change. Teams walk away from our facility with new excitement for their projects, practices to work smarter, and a deep appreciation of their companies. If you are a business that cares about your employees and wants to enhance your workplace culture, we are dedicated to providing alternative ways of building resilient leaders and teams.