SHUTTING DOWN GRACEFULLY… TO REBOOT EFFECTIVELY
It is the last month of the year and the long-awaited holiday season is just around the corner. No matter how busy you are, how relevant you are or even how important you are, we all must recharge and ‘re-boot’ during this period. Shutting down is one of the best ways to achieve this. Shutting down can be likened to exhaling the stress and stressors and inhaling the calmness, peace and tranquillity. It is a health-driven experience that re-energizes one with clarity, focus, strength and the will to forge ahead. In my opinion, the holiday is the ultimate shut-down button.
By no stretch of the imagination can I be described as tech-savvy, but when I saw the phrase ‘shutting down your computer gracefully,’ it struck a cord and I could not resist researching it. I saw various definitions of the phrase but the one that caught my attention said that graceful shutting down means “to shut down all services NORMALLY, allowing current services to finish…” There is no gain-saying that this yuletide season is a period where most of us must find a way to shut down gracefully in order to reboot effectively. We must allow current services (activities) to finish normally so that we are refreshed and rejuvenated to take on the New Year.
The following are some tips for shutting down gracefully to reboot effectively:
PLAN AHEAD: Be sure to arrange work appointments and projects in a way that will accommodate your days off. Inform your clients about your shutting down plans well in advance and don’t forget to send a reminder. They are busy too!
LEARN TO SAY NO: You must decline the invitation to activities that do not fit your relaxation plan. There are ‘gazillion’ things to do during this period but check if it is part of your own plan and feel free to say NO. You don’t want to start ‘stressing’ during this period doing something you are not interested in.
LEAVE WORK TO WORK: Don’t forget to keep off your work devices. If you absolutely must stay connected, set limits. Be upfront with the day(s) and time(s) you will make yourself available by phone or email. This trick makes people think twice about whether they really need you and for those who really need to reach you, they will use that precious window of opportunity wisely.
BE EXCLUSIVE: Take an evening or morning just for you. Let this be your own time. Do what you like …think, meditate, go for a massage, take a walk, practice relaxation and breathing exercises that benefit you!
EAT HEALTHY: This is not the time to put more pressure on your body with the food you eat. You can enjoy yourself on a few occasions but let the major part be putting in healthy portions of food and nutrients into your body. Your body will thank you for this. Don’t forget that you are what you eat!
CREATE MEMORIES WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS: This is a bonding time. It is not just the gifts, it is creating remarkable memories…decorating the tree, wrapping the gifts, ‘hanging out’ and ‘gisting’. It can be anything you love as a group.
Focus on being present during this holiday. It is only then one can truly experience joy, relish relationships and feel profound gratitude for a new year, a new hope and a new dawn.
Compliments of the season and best regards,
Chiadi Ndu
& all of us at BTH
Till 2018, don’t forget … the body keeps the score!!!