Holiday Recovery in Six Steps (any day recovery…..really)
Regardless of what your traditions look like, for most of us, this time of year is FULL of indulgence. More friends. More family. More parties. More food. More cocktails. More shopping. Just a whole lotta MORE.
As I was thinking about this post, it occurred to me that the things that we do to take care of ourselves after one too many days of good meals and lots of company are the same things that we should do anytime that we experience “too much” of anything. At Failure Lab, we are committed to the elevation and prioritization of humans - whole humans - in all their glorious, beautiful, messy complexity.
The basic things that we need to recover from discomfort, be it an overly full belly, the consequences of too many glasses of champagne, a heartbreak, a disappointment, an argument, or a failure…….are pretty much the same things.
So before we try to solve the problems of the world, let’s start with the basics.
Hydrate
For real. Drink water. Lots of it. My kids actually tease me because pretty much any discomfort they bring to me, one of my first questions is, “Have you had any water today?” Your physical body and your mind live in reciprocal relationship. Your body impacts your mind and your mind impacts your body. One of the most basic physical needs that you have is WATER. Make sure to drink enough.
If you feel like you are drinking from the fire hose and are still thirsty, then add some electrolytes. Coconut water. Electrolyte supplements like Liquid IV (there are a bunch of them on the market now). It really does help.
Move Your Body (Extra Points if You Get Out Into Nature)
We are going to keep talking about it. Over and over and over again. Your mind and your body are connected - and the connection goes in two directions. Moving your body is the healthiest way to get those “feel good” chemicals moving in your brain.
Good Physical Health + Good Mental Health = A Resilient Human.
Cookies cause dopamine release. So does taking a walk. You can have both. Have both! Hooray for cookies AND walking. When I say, “move your body,” I don’t mean that you have to suddenly start running every day or sign up for classes at your local Cross Fit gym. Any kind of movement is good movement. Take a walk. Stretch for 15 minutes. If you happen to be athletic, go work out, even if you don’t feel like it. You will feel better afterwards. This is true if you have had too much pie, or you are contemplating an unpleasant life circumstance.
Who wants extra points?!?! Get into nature! In his book, Chatter, psychologist Dr. Ethan Cross discusses the benefits of nature to our mental health as demonstrated through many scientific studies.
“Collectively, these findings demonstrate that nature provides humans with a tool for caring for our inner voice from the outside in, and the longer we’re exposed to nature, the more our health improves.”
So get outside people, your brain and your body will thank you.
Sleep
Are you tired of me harping on you yet?! Take. Care. Of. Your. Body. Stress is stress. Even if it is fun stress. A night of hanging out late with your friends is physical stress on your body. An increase in the number of stimuli in your environment makes your brain work harder to sort and focus. A big snafu at work impacts your body on a chemical level. Sleep is when your body and your mind do the daily (and critical) work of maintenance and repair.
From the experts at the Sleep Foundation:
“For most adults, at least seven hours of sleep each night is needed for proper cognitive and behavioral functions. An insufficient amount of sleep can lead to serious repercussions. Some studies have shown sleep deprivation leaves people vulnerable to attention lapses, reduced cognition, delayed reactions, and mood shifts.
It’s also been suggested that people can develop a sort of tolerance to chronic sleep deprivation. Even though their brains and bodies struggle due to lack of sleep, they may not be aware of their own deficiencies because less sleep feels normal to them. Additionally, lack of sleep has been linked to a higher risk for certain diseases and medical conditions. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, poor mental health, and early death.”
Now I am not trying to scare you with strokes and death, but let’s all agree that rest is important. Enough nagging. I think you get it.
Reflection
The holiday season (and life) moves fast. Pause. Reflect. Take time, even just a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect. When the world is swirling and there is not enough time, that is exactly the right time to take a moment. When you feel “too busy,” that is the exact moment to pause and reflect.
We live in a fast paced world, by design and often by choice. Pause. Breathe.
What was wonderful? What was disappointing? What small things did you notice? What would you do differently next time?
At Failure Lab, we are big fans of the “3-Breath Meditation.” If this concept is new to you, you should make sure to follow our social media because we are regularly feeding you little 3-Breath Meditations. Mindfulness and reflection does not have to be a huge endeavor. You can micro-dose it into your life. A little goes a long way.
Gratitude
This one is really just a continuation of #4. The benefits of a regular gratitude practice continue to be confirmed by science. Not that most of us need scientific proof to believe that gratitude is good for us - it doesn’t hurt! And the science is pretty fascinating.
If you are looking for a little light bedtime reading, check out this 72 page white paper from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley - The Science of Gratitude. If you don’t have time to read the whole report, here is a little blurp from the paper.
High level summary - Gratitude is good for you. Do it.
“Research suggests that gratitude may be associated with many benefits for individuals, including better physical and psychological health, increased happiness and life satisfaction, decreased materialism, and more.
A handful of studies suggest that more grateful people may be healthier, and others suggest that scientifically designed practices to increase gratitude can also improve people’s health and encourage them to adopt healthier habits.
Many more studies have examined possible connections between gratitude and various elements of psychological well-being. In general, more grateful people are happier, more satisfied with their lives, less materialistic, and less likely to suffer from burnout. Additionally, some studies have found that gratitude practices, like keeping a “gratitude journal” or writing a letter of gratitude, can increase people’s happiness and overall positive mood.”
6. Plan
What do you need to absorb your experiences, chew them up, process them, assimilate the lessons, and live your best life? It is different for all of us. Maybe your holiday recovery looks like a whole bunch of joy, gratitude, and gushing over how great everyone in your life is. Perhaps this is a hard time of year for you and you can strategize ways to better care for yourself in the future. Maybe you had a great time, but there were a few missteps that you would like to avoid the next time around.
How are you going to bring your newfound knowledge from this experience forward to benefit you in the future? Where is the “tie-down?”
Finding a singular simple tie-down is a great way to bring reflection into action that improves your future experiences. Maybe that means making a note in your calendar to remind you that pecan pie really upsets your stomach. Maybe it means sending thank you notes to a few key people in your life. Maybe it means making sure that you rally support around you the next time a big holiday or project comes up for you. There is no right answer, but think about it. What are the next steps in your own evolution?
Wishing you all the best this holiday season.
XO,
Failure Lab