I'm back from a great week off with my batteries fully recharged!
We didn't go away anywhere but I still felt like I properly switched off.
It was great to catch up with family, me and my elderly neighbour Jim did our annual hedge trim of the monster hedge between our front gardens (I cut and bagged, he swept up), my wife and I went for a massage and generally it was just a very chilled week.
The highlight though definitely was getting up early for my sunrise swim!
It was incredible!
I got to the coast just as the sun was coming up and the light on the beach was stunning. There were two people under
blankets watching the sunrise and two others already in the water.
After a few minutes taking it in I did a short 30 minute run along the beachfront and back and then got in the water – which surprisingly didn't feel all that cold for the North Sea!
And that 5 minutes just floating there was the most calm I've felt in ages.
A plane was going overhead. The water was still. It was super peaceful and I just felt really present. The perfect way to start my time off!
I made a short reel for Instagram of my wholesome morning that you can watch below...
The audio over the top of the video is just some random American guy but the point he's making is so relevant and something I see a lot in my coaching.
A big reason why we burn-out isn't just that we work ourselves into the ground – it's that we stop making time for the things that really matter to us.
These are things that help us feel relaxed, happy, restored, present, grounded and ALIVE!
When I start working with a new High Performance Coaching Client I always ask them how they relax, switch off and restore their energy. And so often – for people who come to me because they are burnt-out, stressed and overwhelmed – they don't have an answer.
They work and they sleep, and that's pretty much it! It's so important that we make time for other things in our lives. Things that bring us joy.
My early morning swim in the sea was a big reminder of this.
We're so lucky in the North-East of England to have such beautiful beaches. I'll definitely be making more trips to the coast for sunrise sea dips!
