Four tension patterns in the month of August - which ones affect you?
There is something about the holiday time period that seems to create unhelpful mental patterns for many people. Here are four patterns that I notice. Which one(s) affect(s) you?
Your business revenue drops because of the time of year as clients have extended holidays. It seems to happen most years. But even though you know it’s going to happen, you experience tightness and anxiety. It fills you with fear - do I have enough? will I run out?
You are managing childcare during the summer holidays and attempting to work full-time. You find yourself frustrated at not being able to be the mum or the dad that you would love to be at this time. And because of the double workload, you end up more stressed than you might normally be.
The pleasures of your annual summer holiday are significantly impacted by your pre-holiday and post-holiday few weeks. Pre-holiday you are running around somewhat manically (often stressed) so that you to get everything completed before you go. Post-holiday you are playing catch up. You find yourself with a very full inbox of emails that you need to get to on the very day that you return. So the workload before holiday has you feel exhausted on day one of your holiday. And the catching up workload when you return means that the incredibly transformative effects of a relaxing holiday are soon forgotten.
Scenario four is potentially the worst of them all. There are some incredibly important initiatives going on in the business and you decide that you need to do some work whilst you’re away. At best you manage to keep the workload to a minimum in between swimming pool dips with your kids. At worst, you are frustrated and bitter that the business needs you when you’re on holiday.
The main purpose of this article is to encourage you to reflect on repeating patterns. Which of the above apply to you, and which of them could be considered your repeating patterns?
And I’m inviting you to look inside, not outside. Don’t focus on changing just the circumstances, focus on looking at what your mind continues to do.
In scenario number one, you may remember that revenue always drops in August. You may recognise that the tension has more to do with your personal fears around money than anything else. This is your work to do (ask me if you want to know what to do)
In scenario two, how do you be at peace with juggling the personal and work balls? There might be some practical changes to make, but there’s also letting go of the stories that you’re running. Stop it!
In scenario three, how can you do less through more rigorous prioritisation before your holiday? And also how can you simply be ok with the work immensity when you return. Getting stressed about it is optional, it’s a choice.
And finally in scenario four, you have two choices. Perhaps you can just say no and have stronger boundaries. Personal time is personal time. And it’s probably very important to you. And the second choice is to just tend the work emergencies, and simply be ok with that during your holidays. Let go of it being a problem.
And in any scenario you find yourself in this August. Relax and breathe. And observe what you’re doing with your thinking. There’s an opportunity to change the patterns right here, right now.
