Summer Brain Gain
This summer, out-of-office replies were on and calls went to voicemail in a way they haven’t in years. Making up for lost time after two years, people - and those who lead them - were embracing vacation and showing a new appreciation for time off.
As we head into September, it’s worth mentioning that there are a myriad short and long-term benefits of “summer brain.” As our calendars fill, learn three reasons that holding onto summer vibes is good for you, your team, and your mission.
Reconnecting with your Creative Side
Disconnecting from the rigor of the office frees the mind of the relentless pressure to make decisions and communicate. It can also support the out of the box thinking and creativity that drives new ideas. Writer Alison Coleman recently reflected on the power of embracing the free thinking of our wonder years. “Children imagine without any of limitations that we put on our thinking as adults. By being childlike in the way you approach problems, you see them from a completely different place, and then opportunities arise ... Most will be useless, but some will be gold dust, and in that gold dust is the ability to differentiate yourself.”
Engaging More
Like many people – especially women – I grew up with perfectionist tendencies. I wore these highest of high standards, their precision, like armor until the day I discovered “Yes, And,” published by Chicago’s famed improv group, Second City. The book completely shifted how I engage those around me – from colleagues and clients to my own family. “Yes, And” helped me break out of my perfectionist “no, but” tendencies, embrace the power of play and build on and support the diverse ideas of colleagues. The result has been more authentic collaboration and highly effective teams.
“When problem solving, even a bad idea is just a bridge to a better idea.”
― Kelly Leonard, author of Yes, And
The book’s writers have trained thousands of businesses from Norwegian Cruise Line to Major League Baseball and seen meaningful and long-term results.
The Medicinal Qualities of Laughter
Most of us feel great after a belly-aching laugh with friends. Turns out, there’s a physiological basis for this. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter cools down our stress response, stimulates circulation and relaxes muscles – all good stuff. Reduced stress not only makes work more enjoyable, it makes us more enjoyable to be around and has benefits for your colleagues. Alison Beard noted in her HBR article, “Leading with Humor,” that laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts confidence and engagement and drives creativity and collaboration as well as productivity.” The experts at Mayo Clinic also point to the potential long-term benefits, including pain relief and even improvement to your overall immune system.
The Washington Post’s Natalie Compton shared strategies for keeping the positive feelings alive in “How to Beat the End of Summer Vacation Scaries.” Among her simple and effective tips: schedule three “future oriented items” so that you have something clear and concrete to look forward to, and incorporate things that made you happy this summer into your daily or weekly routines at home.
In the post summer sprint to Thanksgiving, I hope you’ll join me in attempting to retain this summer’s brain gain – belly-aching laughter and all.
Additional learning:
Watch Yes, And authors introduce the benefits of improv
Beach Vacationers are Doing it Wrong, an Atlantic writer’s thoughts on how we should approach recharging.
