Image credit Luca Bravo
Congratulations if you were able to fully “turn off” work during this holiday season. Lay guilt aside and applaud yourself for deciding to turn to other aspects of your life. It may seem counterproductive to congratulate those who choose to step away from work. Perhaps you love work so much that hitting pause seems unfathomable. Or you feel that the significance of work is too critical. Perhaps you have been making sacrifices for the success of your company and do not have the okay to take time off. What if taking time off was viewed as essential to your professional success, and the success of your company? Most of us will work full-time for a period of four decades starting at the age of 22. When is the right time to rest and recharge in your 40+ years of work?
What if taking time off was viewed as essential to your professional success, and the success of your company?
When we are in the midst of very important projects it is easy to forget the importance of renewal for long-term success. No doubt taking time off is key to our personal well-being. But how often do we hear that we should take time off? On the contrary, we hear that a whole host of tasks need to get done, and society runs on the contributions of all the worker bees. It’s easy to forget that everyone needs a break sometimes, to have an intentional and extended time of rest, away from the responsibilities of work.
Did you end the year with a bulk of PTO to carryover into the new year? Were weekends the only recharge you provided yourself? Did work spill over into some of those weekends? Manufacturing companies are researching how best to extend driving range for electric vehicles before having to stop for a battery recharge. Are we pushing ourselves with the same mindset, that longer and farther distances between vacations is best?
Time off is a much needed time of renewal. When companies offer holiday shutdown time, it is a gift of rest; an opportunity to come back fresh and strong again. If you did not fully disengage from your work during this holiday time, consider that a goal for the end of this upcoming year. There is immense value in stepping away for renewal. Being alive is more than just breathing. What aspects of life allow you to feel fully alive? If work has become so intertwined in your identity, perhaps start by asking yourself- who am I outside of work?
Encourage yourself to wrestle with these questions. Renewal is “the state of being made new, fresh, or strong again” according to Merriam-Webster. What would allow you to return to work refreshed and ready to tackle your to-do lists? Recharging should be much more than plugging in our cell phones; it ought to involve asking ourselves: what renews me? And sometimes the even bigger questions…
- Would I ever consider taking off four consecutive weeks? What about 12 weeks? Half a year? A full year? Which of those options seem ludicrous?
- Have weekends provided me enough rest and restoration?
- When would it seem appropriate to ever take an extended leave?
In the academic world many take a sabbatical for a full year after seven years of service. A sabbatical is a time to rest, spend time with loved ones, complete personal goals, travel the world, explore nature, participate in the community, go back to school, or simply participate in relaxing activities. Would you ever consider taking a sabbatical? Does your employer offer paid leave, or a sabbatical? Some companies have incorporated this into their benefits as a great mechanism to reduce burnout. But what if your company does not offer paid extended leave? Are you, or someone else, able to sustain you financially for a period of time? It may seem like a costly endeavor, but consider the alternative. What will it cost if you don’t take a much needed break to rest and recharge?
Perhaps an extended time off simply does not seem within reach. Or something you are not yet ready to give yourself permission to consider. Until then, can you commit to giving yourself the weekends? Or at least one day per weekend where you truly disengage from work in order to renew?
If you did take a break from work this holiday season, and yet do not feel charged up to return, ask yourself what might that be pointing to. Did you simply have such a good time that you’d like to find ways to retire from work altogether? Is it that you’re yearning for more relaxation? Is your current job one that is difficult to be excited about? Who can you rally with at work, to discover what needs renewing at work?
Consider yourself valuable enough to wonder “when will I take time off?” What will I do with my free time? Your wellbeing, health and vitality is key to any company’s success. You will make the greatest contributions if you can find time to renew sooner than later; don’t wait for retirement for your renewal! Give yourself permission for that time off; look ahead in this new year to figure out when would be best.