Back from Vacation – Straight into the Stress Spiral?

(𝘖𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦?)

The holidays are over.
You’ve probably tasted something different - slower mornings, walks without purpose, laughter not scheduled into a 30-minute meeting slot.
Maybe you even felt… alive?

But here’s the brutal truth:
𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 72 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬.

Because the system - and your nervous system - will drag you right back into survival mode.
The inbox avalanche. The dopamine drip of notifications.
The performance hamster wheel you call "leadership."

𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲’𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Until the next holiday - when you’ll try to recover from a life that shouldn’t need recovering from in the first place.

Let that sink in.

Neuroscience tells us: 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧.
It shrinks the prefrontal cortex (decision-making), inflames the amygdala (reactivity), and disrupts your capacity for presence, empathy, and strategic thinking.

And you call this “normal”?

Here’s what most leaders get wrong:

They think slowing down, pausing, or nourishing themselves is “luxury.”
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

Because here’s the paradox:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞.
In crises. In complexity. In conflict.
When it really matters.

So before you dive back into the noise:
🔹What part of your holiday wellbeing can you actually integrate into your leadership?
🔹What rhythms need to shift - not just for this week, but for good?
🔹And what are you so afraid of losing if you choose a more sustainable way?

Because if you're honest - 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞.

Welcome back.
Not to the grind.
But to the invitation to lead differently.