17 May How do you ‘switch off’?
We live in an age where there is unparalleled availability of just about anything at any time. As a ‘consumer’ this is pretty cool – I can order a new shirt to be delivered within 24 hours with two taps on my phone. Likewise, I can have a book delivered directly to my Kindle in seconds all while tucked up in my bed. Cool stuff.
We have come to expect things to happen instantly, and as a result, there is pressure on us to react instantly, or to be constantly available. For all its benefits, modern technology is pervasive – it’s becoming even harder to switch off, and that’s not healthy!
In 2011, Manta Media carried out a study of over 1,000 small business owners in the US. The results indicated that as a result of owning a small business:
- 33% of people exercised less
- 22% eat less healthy
- 25% have less time for friends and family
- 44% have had their health affected by the business climate
According to Dr Adrian Furnham (published in Psychology Today), ‘ruminating’ – constantly and involuntarily thinking about work – can have a negative effect on your ability to concentrate, increases the likelihood of anxiety, fatigue, depression and irritability. It leads to an increase in stress hormones and this makes you more prone to ‘cognitive errors’ – the little mistakes you tend to make when your stressed out. If left unchecked, it can lead to cardiovascular disease. Yep that’s heart attacks.
In short, not switching off = worse lifestyle and stress = not good for you!
So if work is always on your mind, what can you do to help switch off?
First, figure out if you are solving a problem, or simply festering over an issue. Solving problems is good, replaying something that didn’t go to plan over and over in your head is not good and you need to park it.
Make time for a hobby or interest away from work. Yes I know, there are already not enough hours in the day. However, your ability to operate over a long term relies on your ability to switch off, so why not set aside a couple of hours a week to do something that you enjoy, that takes your mind off work? There is 168 hours in a week, surely you deserve a few of them for yourself?
Do things that put you in a positive state: get some exercise, listen to good music, ditch the fast food and eat something fresh and healthy – not only will it have a positive effect on your outlook, your body will thank you for it.
Limit how much you ‘talk shop’ outside of work. It’s fine to tell your partner about a rough day, or talk through something that happened with a friend, but don’t let it take over. Revisiting something negative over and over again replays the negative emotions as well – you can end up in a foul mood about something by simply talking about it. Plus, after a while you will start to bore your friends and family…
Get some outside perspective – be it an associate, a coach or someone in business you trust. While friends and family will want to make you feel better, a good adviser should help you look at the issue from different perspectives and either solve it or learn from it. Set a time to talk with them on a regular basis.
Get a decent night’s sleep. Not rocket science.
Feeling stressed out or finding it hard to switch off? Grab a bit of paper and write down 3 things that you can do this week, then open up your schedule and book it in. No one else is going to make looking after you their priority number 1!
