The month of August is sleepy, and out of office alerts are on. If you’re a client of mine you know I’m a heavy advocate for disconnect, recharge and time away from work for so many benefits. Truthfully it’s sometimes hard to get there – ‘there’ being that relaxed, restorative place.
Business owners and leaders of people & projects can feel guilty for taking time off, and thoughts within can sound like, ‘what if a ball gets dropped, what if someone needs me, what if I miss an opportunity, what if they think I’m not vested in my work’ .. etc, etc.
During vacation the overworked mind can continue to wander solving problems and strategizing. Rest-assured it’s normal and it’s okay – especially for business owners, those in producing-type roles, and conscientious-beings at heart. Typically by mid-vacay, once you’ve been away from work stimulus long enough, you have a better chance of getting to restorative mode – relaxed, present to your surroundings, mind dialled down, feeling equilibrium within (a balanced body, mind, spirit).
How do you get to restorative mode more readily? I can’t answer for you, but I can answer for me. I can remind myself of the value and power of time-off.
Time-off allows for:
- Unblocking to find clarity. Being away from it all allows new insight to trickle in, or thought patterns to revise themselves to view things in a different light.
- A quieted mind to awaken true spirit and recalibrate to what’s important to you as a whole. This brings a fulfilling sense of peace and harmony.
- Creating a future for stronger, healthier performance, or potentially becoming better at your craft or expertise once you get back at it.
- Greater motivation to keep going, perhaps to achieve new heights or take the facets of your life to a different level.
- Making better, faster more precise decisions. Sluggish decisions are a drag and energy drain .. now you can lighten up.
- A polished version of you .. and a polished *you* can attract a whole assortment of goods.
It’s not earth-shattering, but this statement works for me; “it is what it is.” It means to me that time-off is part of the recipe for showing up at my best as a professional, mother and wife. If a ball drops, an opportunity is missed, or my absence ruffles the flow of the whole system then so be it. Time off is essential to enjoy a whole, full life. If you’re like me and you love what you do, you’re ready to rock and get back to doing your thing – contributing, serving, making an impact, and knowing you get the treat of time-off & lasting memories down the road again.
K.