Beach Brain Ready
Session Outlines
Session 1
30th June 2026, 1-2pm
Shutdown Sequence: The Pre-Holiday Crunch Trap
The Big Idea
Most of us treat the week before a holiday like a sprint to the finish line, cramming in as much work as possible to ‘make up’ for being away. The problem? That strategy doesn’t actually work. You arrive at your destination more depleted than you were on a normal Monday, and then you waste the first third of your break just recovering.
This session is about reframing how you think about that pre-holiday period so you stop seeing it as a crunch, and start seeing it like a runway. It’s also about being honest with yourself (and the group) about the patterns that make switching off so hard in the first place.
What We’ll Cover
Why the ‘make-up hours’ mindset is self-sabotage
Planning ahead: what to actually do in the 2–3 weeks before you go
How to hand over properly without it consuming your final week
Setting realistic expectations with your team, clients, and yourself (especially if you’re running your own business)
Practical approaches to finishing on a note that actually feels like finishing
Group discussion: what does your pre-holiday panic actually look like, and where does it come from?
The Goal
Leave this session with a concrete pre-holiday plan that gives you the best chance of arriving at your break already a bit lighter.
Session 2
30th June 2026, 1-2pm
Out of Office, For Real: Actually Living the Dream
The Big Idea
You’ve made it. You’re officially on holiday. And yet, there’s your phone. There’s Slack. There’s that one email thread you probably should keep an eye on. This session tackles the hardest part of taking time off: actually being present when you’re there.
We’ll be honest that for some people (particularly those running their own business or in senior roles) completely going off-grid isn’t realistic. That’s fine. We’ll talk about how to stay in touch in a way that doesn’t swallow your holiday whole.
We’ll also cover what to actually do with the quieter headspace that comes when you’re not constantly reacting. Because that rare reflective time is genuinely useful if you know how to use it.
What We’ll Cover
The psychology of FOMO and why the urge to check in is often anxiety, not urgency
Practical boundary-setting: time-boxing check-ins so they don’t creep and expand
How to set up your check-ins so you’re in control, not reactive
Using off-grid time for meaningful reflection (not just more scrolling)
Questions to actively sit with while you’re away – about your work, your career, what you want
Group discussion: share how the summer has gone so far – wins, struggles, surprises
The Goal
A clear framework for how to be away (whether that means fully off-grid or sensibly connected) and a set of reflection prompts to take into the rest of your summer.
Session 3
1st September 2026, 1-2pm
Logging Back In: The Return and Reset
The Big Idea
September is one of those weirdly energising moments in the working year, that brief window where everything feels possible again before Q4 arrives and the whole cycle restarts. This session is about making the most of it.
We’ll reflect together on how the summer went: what your pre-holiday planning actually achieved, what you learnt about yourself while you were away, and what you’d do differently next time. Then we’ll turn that insight forward into goals, intentions, and clarity for the rest of the year.
What We’ll Cover
Reviewing your pre-holiday plan: what worked, what didn’t, what you’d do differently
Processing what came up during your reflection time over the summer
Sharing any clarity, realisations, or shifts in perspective with the group
Turning holiday insight into concrete intentions for Q3/Q4
What a better version of this looks like for next year
Group celebration of what everyone achieved, and honest feedback on the programme
The Goal
Leave with a clear sense of what you want from the rest of the year, grounded in the reflection and rest you’ve actually done and not just the plans you made back in January.