Sometimes, when in the midst of day to day challenges at work and home, our summer holiday can seem a long way off. Exam season can double the stress for parents and teachers and at work many of us are under pressure to show mid-year results before the summer holiday season starts.
Our adrenal glands need TLC at this time of year. We can we give them a boost by checking our habits around three types of fitness: emotional, mental and physical.
Emotional Fitness: Our emotional fitness relies on processing emotions. The feeling of negative emotions is created by chemicals in our bodies – neuro-peptides – which lodge in receptor cells that are intended for other chemicals and are designed to keep our organism healthy. When negative emotions get ‘stuck’ in our receptor cells, it drains our energy. To flush them through we need a combination of self-awareness, naming the emotions, talking them out with a friend or trusted advisor, crying, laughing, and most importantly moving! Punching and shaking the negative emotions out in a sequence of vigorous physical actions is necessary – a good reason to get out those boxing gloves and punch pads.
Mental Fitness: There is a finite amount of energy in our systems drawn from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe. Circular thinking and excessive mental chatter are unproductive thought patterns that burn up valuable electrical energy with little gain. The best approach to mental fitness is to do some kind of breathing, meditation or mindfulness practice every day. We recommend Paced Breathing technique (sitting still for 5-10 minutes, eyes closed and breathing diaphragmatically in and out in a regular, even, paced pattern).
Physical Fitness: The system that enables our heart rate, etc. to recover from physical exertion (the parasympathetic nervous system) is the same system we use to recover from emotional and mental pressure. If that system is sluggish and underused, it takes us longer to recover from stressful events, taking a greater toll on our energy levels and increasing the strain on our adrenal glands. If you are struggling to find time to do a full exercise program regularly, then, to bolster your resilience, at a minimum you need to get your heart rate up and down three times each day in a simple, 10 minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) session at home. For example, jog gently for one minute to warm up, then for two minutes execute a combination of star jumps, push-ups, burpees, planks, and running on the spot at high intensity, followed by one minute recovery time. Repeat the two minutes of intensity and one minute recovery three times – then get on with your day. This approach works well when travelling too because it is easy to do in a hotel room.
Your resilience relies on you finding these short windows of time, and integrating the techniques above into your daily life. Find exact moments and triggers in each day to create new resilience habits by placing a new habit next to something you always do. For example, upon waking, switch off the alarm and briefly check which emotions you are feeling today. Integrate paced breathing practice into your journey time to work. Whilst preparing food each evening, weave in the three high intensity interval trainings……there is always time for a quick plank or set of star jumps!
With this simple, effective three step program you will be ready to spring into summer!
For more information about how Physical Intelligence can help you, your team or your organisation, please visit us at www.companiesinmotion.com.
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About Companies in Motion
Transforming how organizations learn and engage, Companies in Motion (CIM) supports you and your organisation’s overall performance.
Many organizations are moving away from the traditional performance training models to something more innovative and meaningful. In response to this change, Learning and Development teams are implementing Physical Intelligence programs that support performance across the curriculum: leadership, innovation, change management, team building, sales, negotiating, and more.
Contact CIM for more information on how Physical Intelligence can support performance across your company. www.companiesinmotion.com
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