Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Text 51551, Brendan O'Connor on RTE Radio 1. Leisha Redmond-McGraw, welcome back.
Hi, thank you.
Leisha, you're a chartered work and coaching psychologist and you want to stress to people today why they should take holidays. Are people becoming more reluctant to take time off work and switch off?
Yeah, I'm seeing it a lot. Really, it's on the rise and it has been for a while. Maybe they're taking holidays, but there's a lot of laptops going on work and on holidays with them rather. And listen, I've done it myself, but I think we need to re-evaluate how we look at rest, whether we value it or not.
Chapter 2: Why should we prioritize taking holidays?
And I don't think that we do value and really understand how much we need it.
Why are holidays essential, say mentally first and then physically?
Well, our nervous systems aren't meant to be kind of always on as we are culturally. So from a mental health perspective, we need a break. We need to be able to have a sense of perspective. We need to re-engage with fun. When we're doing things over and over again, when we're just constantly under pressure, that's going to have a detrimental effect on our mental health.
And from a physical perspective, similarly, if you're sitting at a desk day in, day out, you're not actually out running around with the kids or maybe you're letting sports and other hobbies slide.
Chapter 3: Are people becoming more reluctant to disconnect from work?
And, you know, your heart rate issues or maybe, you know, your heart rate variability isn't where it should be. All those kind of physical metrics aren't as healthy. And, you know, holidays give us a sense of perspective, a sense of fun and an opportunity to sometimes try new things.
Yeah. It takes a few days, doesn't it? Yeah. Like you really realise how on you've been when you realise how it's slowly a kind of... Yeah, exactly.
Because the first few days you're still very much engaged. How's that going? What's happening with that person? What's happening? I have a question that I ask coaching clients often, which is if you did an eighth day in the week just for you, what would you do? And people often say, oh, I'd, you know, clean out the... You know, and I'm like, no, no, just for you.
And it gives me a sense of whether people have this connection to themselves. A lot of people can't because they don't know who they are outside the roles in the work and the roles at home. So, yeah, so holidays can give us an opportunity to reconnect with actually who we are as a person outside of the roles we play in life.
You know, the way a lot of people now take a lot of short breaks and they're great and everything. But is that long enough to actually do that reconnection?
I think they're really valuable and I think it's important, but I do think the long breaks make a big impact as well. And I know sort of even anecdotally and from personal experience, being able a few times to take three weeks, that's the real, like, oh my God, because the first week you're still kind of keeping in touch.
Second week you're kind of leaning into it, you know, but when, my God, if you can get a week three, it's like, oh my God, like what do I even do for work again? When you get to that stage, then, you know, you've actually relaxed and the value kicks in.
And then some people like go on holidays and then they're doing stuff all the time or they like, you know, some people like an action packed holiday. I prefer to just chill maybe.
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Chapter 4: How do holidays benefit our mental health?
But is it horses for courses with regards to that?
Well, what I would say to people is think about the word balance. If you're somebody who's in an always on high octane job and your, you know, your cortisol is maybe through the roof. maybe then you need a relax holiday where you're kind of lying around, you know, maybe a little bit of movement, but definitely more relax.
If you're somebody who's kind of more sedentary in their work, who's doing the same thing on the same day, maybe you need a bit of kind of excitement and the opportunity to learn new things, try new skills, you know, try and stand up in the back of something on a, you know, that is moving on the back of a boat or something, you know, try and go for a hike.
So try and do the opposite of whatever your life is.
I think so. Try and bring some balance in. Yeah.
Now, it does depend on who you're on holidays with as well, right? And particularly going on holidays with small kids can be quite stressful. Any tips there for making sure you get to relax in this? I'm thinking of Mam in particular.
Yeah, exactly.
Dads usually are quite resilient and survivors in these kind of situations.
I think there's an opportunity. Like what we used to certainly do and again talk to clients about is state what your needs are and nobody else is responsible for meeting your needs. So I'd say to my husband, like, what do you need from today or what? And he'd say the same to me or I'd tell him what I need.
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Chapter 5: What physical health benefits do holidays provide?
Take responsibility for your needs.
That's a complete game changer.
But I think it's, you know, the other thing with the kids are they thrive when they've mum and dad there, you know, particularly if mum and dad are working. You know, the kids do thrive. But at the same time, it has to be a family holiday. It has to be a rest for everyone.
Yeah. So I think it's not about... But it is a time to be fully present with them as well, isn't it?
Yeah, and build relationships.
Because I think a lot of the time are we modelling to them that... you know, mum and dad are busy and distracted and that's how life is when you're an adult.
Yeah, a little bit. And I think, you know, what holidays can provide is an opportunity to strengthen relationship. Again, that word fun, to make memories, to curate, you know, adventures and to have things that you can talk about and bond over and really reconnect. Because again, if you've been out at work and you've had less time with your child.
So I don't think it's about putting them into the kids club from 6am to, you know, 6pm and heading off yourself. Like Maybe, OK, some people do that a little bit here and there, depending on, again, your personal circumstances. But I think it's like even to get a couple of hours, you know, where maybe the kids are in the kids club and you can go and have a nice lunch together.
Or, you know, the kids are in bed and maybe you have a meal delivered to your room and you can have a nice dinner on the balcony or something. Or, you know, so it's trying to cultivate relationships, not just with the kids, not just with yourself, but also maybe with your partner as well. Remembering who you are as a couple. Who you are, exactly. Yeah.
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