Monday 27 April 2015

Adrenaline junkie *

I'm writing this on my iPad as I eat my breakfast sitting in my garden. 

It's 0832 on Monday morning, the sun is shining (till 1300 anyway) and I'm working from home today. I have no calls scheduled in the diary, and have some nice chunky work to do (you know rather than the 20 minutes of this, 30 minutes of that, interrupted by a number of 45 minute conference calls).

Yet I feel guilty for sitting here - I even had to drag myself passed the office door. 

A voice whispered "just check your emails first." I knew however, that if I listen to that voice and took that left turn into the office, I'd be eating breakfast at my desk, and would be there for the rest of the day. 

It's a feeling I recognise, and one I know signals a holiday is well over due. The signal that adrenaline is fuelling the need for constant doing, and knowing there isn't an ever replenishing supply of adrenaline available 24/7 365.  

I've caught the feeling earlier than normal and have booked a week off next week. I wonder whether that's why I found it easier to have breakfast on the beach yesterday morning. 


Perhaps that's the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) I should be measuring to track my well-being - 'the number of breakfast's eaten outside'? Or perhaps even 'the number of paddles taken' :-)

What triggers you to notice you're headed away from well being and balance, and towards stress and burn out?
  • Number of cancelled dates with family or friends
  • Number of meals eaten at the desk or on the go
  • Number of days you skipped breakfast or lunch
  • Number of days you get home from work and fall straight into bed
  • Number of days you feel no sunshine on your skin
  • Number of days when the only walking under taken was from car to office and back
  • Number of days without laughter
  • Number of days where time available for sleep due to your schedule was less than 7 hours
You could argue that even 1 day of any of the above in a week is unacceptable. I suspect, however, we'd all choose a number slightly higher than that to provide some leeway for busyness and doing.

Its 0902 now and my breakfast is eaten and blog written (yes I realise that could also be a replacement activity for not being in the office). 

The desire to get to the office is even stronger now and that whisper is getting louder ....
  • "There may be an important email" 
and I attempt to quieten it with:
  • "If there is an important email they'll call too - no one relies on email if it's urgent !!"
  • "It wasn't there on Friday evening - no one works over the weekend!!"
  • "You're on top of all your actions - no one would add more to your to-do list without first checking that's OK!!"
  • "You're more effective when you've taken time to just be - no one thinks that we have to be at our desk from 9-5 any more !!"
  • "The sun is great for vitamin D and helps your well being - no one discounts the impact of our well-being on our effectiveness at work!!"
  • "Breakfast eaten slowly and mindfully is more nourishing for you - no one believes eating on the go is good for you!!"
Oh dear - it seems the only answer that quietens the need for doing is:
  • "It's ok you can work later tonight and make up for it."
As ever on my own well being - the talking is easier than the walking! 

Although as it's going to rain at 1300 that last comment has made we wonder about going for a walk (once I'd checked my email mind) as I really can work later tonight, and it's scheduled to rain for the next few days so time spent in the sun now will help for the next few days spent inside. 


It's 0919 and if I go for a walk it may be a while till I really hit that laptop :-). 

After 15 minutes of dealing with emails, and calls being scheduled for later, I did manage that walk and even managed a paddle in the sea. 

It's 10:33 and I'm now going to start my day and feel much better for the start I gave myself.

I would love to know the trigger that has you reassessing the speed that you're running your life at, and what helps you stop adrenaline's call.

Alison Smith
Inspiring change - inside and out - when what you're doing isn't working 

* A reminder I hope that adrenaline junkies don't just drive fast cars, jump out of planes or climb steep cliffs. A junkie in the sense that you can't stop the current behaviour and don't want to either - despite knowing in the long run it's no good for you and you really should stop - would benefit from the stop too! 

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