In business, we juggle many projects and goals and quite often do it all again at home. This busyness can easily turn into stress.

The only way to manage or release stress is to recharge.

 

Each day we ensure our computer, mobile phone or other digital devices are charged and ready to go. Just like these batteries, we can teeter on the dreaded 20% battery warning, then we either have to shut down or find a way to recharge.

 

Then there are times when we have every App open and our battery is limited and we become run down even quicker.

So how do we recharge; there is no quick fix, like any recharging, it takes time.

 

A good analogy is to look at recharging as a set of traffic lights.

At the top, there is the red light where we stop.

We stop doing things that exhaust or stress us physically, emotionally or mentally.

 

This may be a break from exercise, which is not working when our body is under stress. We may need to delegate jobs so we have less on our plate or learn to say ‘no’ to things that zap our energy.

 

Whatever it is, we have to stop and pull back for about six weeks before we can leap forward.

If we move ahead too soon, we will only end up more tired, injured, or sick.

 

Next is the yellow light where we proceed with caution; this is generally about six weeks too.

 

Like at the yellow traffic light, sometimes we can put our foot down and accelerate through and other times we need to stop.

At this time we can re-introduce gentle non-competitive movement like yoga, pilates, tai chi or walking. It is also a time to ensure we have vitamin and herbal support for adapting to life at a faster pace. It is still important to delegate and say ‘no’ when needed, so we don’t wear out.

 

The final phase is the green light; this comes when we no longer feel fatigued in the afternoons and we are more alert and energised most mornings.

 

A note of warning: if we move too quickly from the red to green light, we can over-rev our engine and burn out again. It is a fine line and it is best to check in with how our body feels, not what our mind thinks.