I’m about to head off on my summer holidays, and although it’s something I’ve talked about before, thought it would be a good time to reiterate how important it is to give yourself time off from work!
A new client came to me recently, who dreads August. Every year, it’s the same, she says. Work is quiet, because her clients are on holiday, yet she’s just as busy, if not more so, because half her team go away then too. She doesn’t have children, so won’t go away during the school holidays, but as soon as September swings around she says there’s too much on her plate to book any time off
However, rather than addressing this issue, she just lets the same thing happen, year after year, getting more and more annoyed by it.
I see too many people struggling with similar issues. They say they’re too busy to take any time off, or that work will fall apart if they’re not there. Others will say that work will end up calling them anyway and interrupting their good time, so they may as well not even bother in the first place.
They tend to be the people who end up burning out, because they’ve worked themselves to the bone and told themselves that they don’t need/are too busy for/don’t deserve a holiday.
There’s a massive amount of research showing that humans need regular breaks – time doing something different from the day-to-day routine. Giving yourself permission to switch off from work will not only refresh you physically (as opposed to sitting at a desk for hours at a time, glimpsing daylight from out of a window), but it will perk you up mentally too, meaning that when you do go back to work, you’re more likely to be quicker, more innovative, and able to deal with the little things that seem huge, when we’re exhausted and overwhelmed.
For me, I know that a change of scenery, and time away from the daily stresses of work (no matter how much I love what I do!) is vital for me to do what I do, the best that I can.
If you’re one of those people who continually makes excuses not to take time off, then maybe it’s time to look at why. My FREE 45-minute consultation takes a deep dive into the real reasons you don’t want to take time off work. I’ll give you a roadmap to the steps you need to take to overcome any struggles you might have with anxiety, self-doubt and imposter syndrome – all of which can be reasons you’re chaining yourself to your desk, rather than getting out there and having some fun in the (occasional) sun!
