So how do we balance stress with recovery in the context of busy lives?

The answer is simple.

• We have to prioritise recovery.

• Prioritise breaks in the day that keep us well.

• Don't sacrifice those moments of recovery because of busy-ness.

How to prioritise recovery:

• Make sure you use your commute wisely. If you are commuting, do things that take your mind away from work. Read a paper or book, listen to a podcast, audiobook, or music. Give yourself the buffer at the start and end of the day to decompress and be mindful.

• If you are working from home, use your commute artificially. Go out for a walk in nature, take an exercise, decompress.

• Try to do this during the day too. Schedule time to decompress after a difficult meeting, to step back, reflect or recover from stress.

• At the end of the day, use that commute time to create a break between home and work. Don't just go straight into home life, family life, or relaxing.

Why prioritise recovery?

• Taking moments to balance work and wellbeing will help you perform better.

• Your physiological system will have time to recover from periods of stress.

• You will have more energy, clarity, focus.

Stress:

• Look at the drivers of your form and notice what is causing you stress. It could be your financial wellness or issues with your sleep, or not getting enough exercise. Stress can be mitigated by these, or it can be the cause of them.

• Building the awareness of what is causing negative stress for you, is really important. Only then you can be proactive about managing it and mitigate against it with moments of recovery.

Resources:

• Check out this TED Talk from Nigel Marsh on How to make work-life balance work.

• You can also check The Form Guide podcast with Daryl Woodhouse on work-life balance. Lots of great tips here.