How to Come Down From “Work Sprint” Mode

_{This article originally appeared in Forbes}

I’m writing this on the way back from my college reunion, feeling both energized and exhausted. I’m so glad I went, but also anticipating the tiredness waiting for me back home as it’s my daughter’s high school graduation week. You get the picture…

This reunion was entirely my choice. And yet the dichotomy I’m feeling is common at work too, especially after an intense push to complete a meaningful project. There’s a great feeling of satisfaction when a job is complete, and hopefully well done, but instead of leaving to relax on the beach, you probably jump right back into your inbox and Teams, finally giving your attention to projects that have been back-burnered for weeks.

The problem isn’t intense periods of work. Burnout happens when you never decrease your speed afterward. 

What I’ve noticed in my own life, as well as that of my executive clients, is that high-pressure periods speed up your internal pacing. Like the old 45 RPM records, everything starts spinning faster — your thinking, your responsiveness, your time. The problem is that after weeks operating at that speed, normal life can feel uncomfortably slow.

That’s why it’s important to find ways to downshift and re-regulate your nervous system after a big push.

Here are five options to restore your energy and sanity when a vacation isn’t an option. Pick and choose the ones that resonate most.

1. Put Real Lunches Back on the Calendar. Schedule one or two “going out” lunches during the workweek.. These might be re-connection times with colleagues you haven’t had space for recently. These might be squeezing in time with a friend whose texts you haven’t returned for a month. It even counts if you take your team out to bond and don’t talk about any ongoing projects. True relational connection can be restorative (even for introverts) and it’s a great reminder that you don’t have to spend every moment from 9-6-ish in full-on productivity mode.

2. Re-prioritize your workouts (or whatever your “you time” is). Many of my clients sacrifice their workouts and self-care the minute things intensify at work. It makes sense. Those extra work hours need to come from somewhere. However, you don’t want this temporary routine to quietly become your new normal. So whether it’s book club, pick-up basketball, or early AM bootcamp – start back now. Don’t wait until “things fully calm down again.” The criteria shouldn’t be “calm,” just “no longer crazy!” 

3. Start Winding Down Earlier Than You Think. Start your bedtime routine right after dinner. I read this tip from Laura Vanderkam and try to practice it regularly. It means you can go to bed as soon as you feel tired rather than trying to finish your routine when you are already exhausted, and missing out on an earlier bedtime.

4. Reset Your Calendar Back to Human Mode. Review your schedule priorities with your EA. I know the drill: when you’re trying to hit a deadline with multiple stakeholders, you start fitting in meetings in any space possible (dare I say even double scheduling sometimes?). During this time your EA gets the unspoken message that you will meet with anyone who needs you and they should just “squeeze them in somewhere.” That was survival mode. An early order of business should be to remind your EA of your ideal scheduling requirements (note time for lunch in #1) and make sure to build back in space for strategic thinking and mentoring your team. 

5. Reintroduce Something “Unproductive.” Bring back one activity that signals to your brain you are no longer in crisis mode – reading, puzzles, music, whatever genuinely restores you. Start small: even 15 intentional minutes changes your nervous system’s pacing. I love to read, yet it feels decadent, so it’s often the first thing to disappear when I get stressed. Remind yourself that despite your backlog, you can put back in something “unproductive” that helps you relax. 

Morihei Ueshiba, O’Sensei, founder of Aikido, is quoted as saying:

 “My students think I don’t lose my center. That is not so; I simply recognize it sooner, and get back faster.”

Busyness happens, and we often lose our center. The goal isn’t to avoid intense seasons. It’s to recover your center more quickly afterward to return to a more sustainable pace.

Read More: Burnout & Balance: A High Achiever’s Dilemma