A timely reminder from Delia McCabe:
“Another year is behind us.
It’s been a trying one for many.
Here are some evidence-based ideas to help make your 2026 a simpler, but happier and more successful year.
1) When you’ve been very stressed it’s harder to slow down and rest because …
Your nervous system has become used to being ’on.’
You’ve developed a habit of ‘doing’ because we now live in a world that is constantly ‘on,’ and busy-ness is worn as a badge of honour.
Many people also internalise the idea that their worth is tied to how much they produce and how successful they are.
Resting is seen as a weakness – and many people feel guilty when they do so.
Over time, the habit of not resting becomes a robust neural pathway, just like any other habit!
Keep these ideas in mind:
- Rest enhances productivity: a well-rested brain is more creative, productive and emotionally stable.
- Life won’t hand you rest periods – you have to establish them yourself, via clear boundary-setting, and acknowledging your worth apart from what you produce.
- Re-assess your values so you know what to focus on.
- Even a small 10 minute break away from your task/desk allows your brain (and eyes) to rest and your nervous system to recalibrate.
- If you’re not used to regular resting, you’ll have to ease yourself into doing so, with small rest periods during the day – it’s worth the effort!
Takeaway: Rest isn’t a waste of time. It’s an investment in your future productivity, success - and health. Spending time in nature, while you rest, is particularly beneficial. No one will hand you rest periods - YOU have to carve them out of your days. 2) Stop adding things to your ‘to-do’ list …
I will be writing a long Substack article on what I’ve come to call ‘The Additive Challenge.’
But as a helpful teaser to that upcoming post, please keep in mind:
Humans overwhelmingly prefer to add something to whatever challenge they’re facing.
It’s our natural default – a cognitive bias – to add vs subtract.
We have to spend time considering what isn’t working in our life, or a specific situation, vs simply adding something to try and solve the challenge.
Again, no one is going to hand you solutions, unless you’re working with someone smart and wise who can help you figure out what to remove, where, and how.
Often, unfortunately, these ‘additive solutions’ are sold on-line via slick marketing skills, and promoted as ‘easy, quick-solutions.’
Takeaway: Spend time considering what you can remove from your to-do list or your life, vs what you can add. You may need to spend some time carefully considering the issue because your natural cognitive bias is to add something to whatever challenge you’re addressing.
3) Sometimes a quote hits you between the eyes …
Like many people, I love a good quote, because it can encapsulate a concept succinctly.
This one is from Thomas Sowell, who is a very learned and wise man – qualities that don’t always co-exist in people:
‘There are no solutions – only trade-offs.’
Although Sowell introduced this idea in a book dedicated to political struggles, (see Extra Reading below) I’ve been using it a lot recently because we’ve co-created a very complex society and living in it has become fraught with challenges we desire to solve.
Many people insist there are clear solutions to them all, but I fear we may be fooling ourselves (and others), by insisting that we can solve all our challenges without some trade-offs.
We need to acknowledge this and carefully consider what we’re prepared to give up/trade, in our pursuit of solutions.
This ties up with ‘The Additive Challenge’ mentioned in point 2 above.
Takeaway: Being overly confident that you can perfectly solve every challenge you encounter - as a parent, leader, partner etc - may not serve you (or others) well. Spend time considering the wisdom of Thomas Sowell’s quote. Thinking deeply and critically is an under-appreciated activity."
Additional reading:
Geurts, SA & Sonnentag, S. (2006) Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 32(6), 482–492.
McEwen BS (2017) Neurobiological and Systemic Effects of Chronic Stress. Chronic Stress;1.
Sowell, T (2007) A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles. Basic Books (Hachette Book Group): New York, USA.
https://news.virginia.edu/content/when-it-comes-problem-solving-new-uva-study-finds-less-more (Cited 27 December 2025)