For our ancient ancestors, the stress response was very useful to flee predators as it releases adrenaline and cortisol. Furthermore, these are still highly beneficial for us now that we have swapped the prairies for the office with deadlines and showstopper presentations. Without these hormones, we wouldn’t be as sharp and on point. However, the benefits do not outweigh the risks when we become stuck in the stress response. 

Weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia or difficulty sleeping, mood irregularities, and low energy levels are some symptoms of being stuck in an acute stress response. To get out of it, we need to lessen our stress stimulation, quieten down and relax to allow our rest digest mode to kick in (our nervous system’s antidote to fight or flight). This is where Pilates and its effective breathing techniques can be a game-changer. 

Pilates is a wonderful form of mindful movement, which can also be extremely meditative. The focus is all on your alignment and breathing, meaning that you can mentally disconnect and escape as you follow the instructions – thinking deeply about how your body is moving, leaving little room to think about anything else. 

The breath work, which involves deep breaths, allows your nervous system to quieten down, lowering cortisol and releasing tension and stress. This brings calm and clarity, and many people say how well they sleep after a session. Pilates goes even further as it allows you to undo all the aches and pains you get from sitting at a desk all day long, so it is a win-win situation for you. 

The more you move, the more fluid your body becomes and, in turn, the less stressed and rigid you are. The more you switch on your rest and digest mode, the better you are able to regulate your fight or flight. But you can’t do that if the scales are tipping more towards fight or flight and you aren’t doing enough to disconnect and relax. 

Breathing Technique

Here is a quick breathing technique, which can help you when you feel your fist clenching and your heart racing. You can also check out these free videos. 

(Get a 20% discount to the Men Do Pilates platform by filling up the form at the bottom)

Try spending 3 minutes of your day sitting using the following technique: 

• Sitting comfortably on your sit bones lengthen the spine with your arms resting on your lap. Contemplate how you breathe and where you usually breathe (up in the shoulders, or are you a breath holder?).
• Try to breathe downwards towards your pelvis, letting your belly expand. You can even place your hands on your belly. There is no need for any core engagement here.
• Imagine the breath now surrounding your organs travelling to your brain like a mist fuelling your body. Choose the colour of the mist to signify vitality and sense the breath in mist form enveloping your whole body, expanding your ribcage 360 degrees – like a balloon expanding from within. Let the mist travel to your brain and up and down your spine.
• Pause in any areas of your body where you feel tension and let the mist hover in that area, bringing warmth and release. Keep allowing the mist to circulate through your body.

Doing Pilates gives you head space and the ability to listen to and read the signals when your body is on high alert. You don’t need an hour of Pilates a day; think more simply 10-15 minutes. That’s all you need to start making real, long-lasting changes to your stress levels and, in turn, overall well-being, productivity and performance. 

About the author

Anaya has over 15 years of experience teaching Pilates to a wide range of people –  from professional athletes and teams who want to prevent injuries and increase performance to everyday folk who want to simply decrease pain and have better posture.

Coming to Pilates through a serious back injury, she knows first-hand the power of Pilates and how it can complement those in rehabilitation. This personal experience has given her a thirst for learning about anatomy, rehabilitation and movement. It has led her to further her knowledge in other movement practices and anatomical courses, such as human dissection – keeping abreast of the latest and most relevant scientific papers.

In 2021, she set up Men Do Pilates (the first online Pilates Platform solely dedicated to men) to make Pilates more accessible to men with her effective, enjoyable and expertly taught Pilates.

Find out more about Anaya Grover and Men Do Pilates here:

Website: Men Do Pilates

Instagram: @Men_do_pilates

Twitter: @mendopilates

Facebook: @menpilates

The post What does Pilates have to do with performance? – By Anaya Grover (Founder of Men Do Pilates) appeared first on Optimist Performance.

According to a recent study, 82% of respondents said they work while on vacation, and 42% said they use vacation days specifically to do work. Given these numbers, it’s not surprising that more and more people are experiencing burnout. We all need to disconnect from time to time to reduce stress and recharge our energy. Furthermore, working while we’re on holiday doesn’t only harm us, but it can also be detrimental to our teams. 

We send clear messages when we send emails or work during our so-called free time. Even if the purpose of working while on holiday is to be available to our team, we’re setting a clear precedent that unplugging is not an option. Furthermore, it may be interpreted as a lack of trust in our team’s ability to manage their tasks without us.

“You’ll be amazed at what you can do when you’re unplugged—and what your people have accomplished when you plug back in. I can personally attest that you’ll be a more confident and better leader because of it.” – Moffat, CEO of Deloitte.

Time management skills you can use to prepare for your holidays

Getting ready to take time off for holidays can be stressful; in addition to planning the trip, packing the bags, and so on, you must also tidy up at work and ensure that everything will run smoothly while you’re away. 

Planning is the first step towards ensuring your stress-free holiday. Start planning a few weeks before you go, so you allow yourself enough time to tie up any loose ends. Also, organise your return plan, so you feel prepared and confident about what you’re coming back to, while anticipating that there will likely be new issues and work to pick up.

If everything is important, then nothing is. – Patrick Lencioni.

Being able to prioritise is essential for effective time management. Given most people are already dealing with work overload, we need to be upfront and honest with ourselves and our teams about our ability to finish tasks and projects before going on holiday. 

In addition, prioritising is essential when we need to delegate some of our workload to others. Be mindful of people’s time and only delegate what is absolutely required. You can also create a priority list for your team so everyone knows what the top priorities are and what can be deferred if necessary.

Communication is always an essential skill, and it’s also a huge component of your stress-free holiday. Once you’ve finalised your plan, you must ensure that everyone understands their role in it. Creating a detailed and precise handover for your team, colleagues, and managers will help you relax while on holiday. 

When preparing your handover, think about what questions they could have, what they would need to complete the tasks and what unforeseen events might occur while you are away. The more you plan and the better you communicate beforehand, the easier it will be for you to disconnect later. 

Last but not least, you need to set boundaries and let go 

We don’t want to leave our colleagues hanging or appear irresponsible, so we’re “staying connected” while on holiday. Wrong. Setting clear boundaries about when and why people should contact you is essential if you really want to enjoy time off. If you have prepared well, you should feel pretty confident about asking people not to contact you unless it’s an emergency. Even if something requires your attention while you’re on vacation, be explicit about when and how you’ll be available.

Once the prep is done, it’s time to let go. Wanting to be kept in the loop is a trap we all fall into. However, learning how and when to let go is critical to our well-being. Some solo entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of having a team to rely on, but if you do, take advantage of it. You have done everything you can to ensure everything is in order; now you need to trust your colleagues to carry on without you. 

Prepare to leave but also to come back

Plan for a catch-up day, including minimising meetings (internal and external) when you first return. Coming back from holiday can feel overwhelming, so giving yourself some time to catch up will help you feel less stressed and immediately overloaded. It will also ease you into returning to “work mode.”

When planning your catch-up day, reframe it as a “working day”. According to research, the name we use to define our time impacts our intrinsic motivation, affecting how we feel about it. 

As well as blocking out time for catching up on emails, dealing with new issues and digesting project updates etc, plan time with your team and colleagues. It can be difficult to squeeze another call into our already packed schedule but you’ll need a proper update when you’re back. Scheduling a call in advance with the team on your first day back at work will help you get up to speed quickly.

All this sounds great, but what if I just can’t completely unplug?

Even though it is not ideal, for many people unplugging completely during vacation is just utterly impossible. In addition, some people admitted to stressing out more when they don’t check emails and are unaware of what’s going on. While disconnecting has its advantages, we all need to know ourselves and find what works for us. 

We’ve compiled a list of handy tips for you:

Set up clear limits. If you need to do some work while on holiday, make sure you set a time limit for how much time you will invest and when you will do it. Aleksey Danchenko, CEO of eSputnik, always schedules half an hour first thing in the morning when he is away and then disconnects for the rest of the day. 

Declutter your Inbox. Returning to a full Inbox is no one’s idea of heaven but we can always find strategies to help avoid it. Committing a short amount of time each day just to organise your Inbox and reply to what’s absolutely necessary can significantly benefit your peace of mind. Make sure though that you’re disciplined about what you deal with and avoid getting sucked into problem-solving or responding to things that can most definitely wait.

The Optimist view…

As a small team, we know how challenging stepping away to take a holiday can be, but we also know how essential it is for everyone’s well-being. While there are occasions when priorities are pressing and issues have to be immediately resolved, we constantly strive to assist our colleagues in unplugging. Simple things like contacting them only when essential or not copying them on every email, so they don’t return to the Everest of emails may make a huge difference.

Furthermore, as leaders, we don’t only have to worry about ourselves but also about every person in our team. The best practice is always living by example, so taking your time off seriously is not only about you but also about what signal you send to your team. And, importantly, what you signal is important to the people you choose to spend your downtime with.

At Optimist Performance, we help leaders deal with their everyday challenges because we know that while the theory sounds easy enough, it’s way more challenging to put it into sustainable and positive practice.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our leadership development programmes and executive coaching programmes. 

The post How to use time management skills to prepare for your holiday – By Optimist Performance appeared first on Optimist Performance.