I am writing this article the day after Thanksgiving where there was a lot of discussion about the coming holiday season, time off, and the value of using that time off to disconnect and refuel.
Time off gives us space to:
think about new and different things
reconnect with ourselves
spend time with family and friends
But the real benefit of time off is that we feel relief from all the things that we worry about when we are going about our usual workaday lives.
What does our boss think of us? Did I do that project well? Will I make that deadline? Will I get that promotion? Will I get a good raise?
Did I do well on that last interview? Should I apply to that job even though I don’t meet all the listed requirements? What if I reach out to someone and they don’t answer me? Why don’t I have my dream job yet?
So I am thinking….
Why don’t we take time off from these worries at other times of the year? We don’t have to wait until we are “on vacation” and are not working at or searching for a job. Why can't we get that relief even when we are working.
What if you headed into next week (or any week - you decide) and:
Take the week off from caring whether you get a response and reach out to someone you always wanted to talk to.
Enjoy a break from believing you need to “get it all done perfectly,” and instead just get some things done well enough.
Decide to assume that everyone thinks your job performance or job application is great, until you hear anything to the contrary.
Take a break from looking at the gap between where you are and where you want to be and appreciate how far you have come.
Pick even just one of these and set it as an intention for the week.
You’ll be amazed at what can happen when you take some time off from your own brain!
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