Don’t Wait Until You Break TAKE TIME OFF NOW| Optimize Corps NYC Career CoachING
My husband became increasingly chatty as we reached the summit on our hike.
Me? Not so much. I was solidly focused on drinking in the beauty that our 360 degree view afforded. Our effort had rewarded us and I badly wanted to absorb all of it, and his chattiness was distracting me.
But in the ten years we’ve been together, I’ve learned that when my usually introverted husband gets this talkative – something’s up. And when I finally turned my gaze his way, it was clear what had him in verbal overdrive.
He was literally overflowing with joy. Exuberance, visibly bubbling out of him.
“You feel free don’t you?” I asked him.
“That’s it. I feel completely free.” he said.
We were 48 hours into our first vacation in more than a year. In fact, it had been more like 18 months since our last true vacation (non-family, non-wedding, totally unplugged vacation), which meant that my very hard working guy, hadn’t taken a real break to unwind and reconnect in a very long time.
The transformation within him was astounding. If I had to guess, in that moment he’d finally shed everything that had been weighing on him all those months that he’d previously been unable to shake off.
Watching him, two thoughts came to mind.
The first being: He’s back! The happy, funny, sunny guy that I chose to bond my life with.
My second was more like a wish, that I could capture this sense of freedom and share it with all of the professionals I know who are desperately overdue for a vacation and say, “What are you waiting for? Look what’s awaiting you.”
Why are so many of us so awful at taking breaks? What it about our culture and conditioning as adults that prevents us from stepping away from our seemingly important tasks in order to briefly recharge?…If I were to make up banners and flyers in support of the break movement, they’d have to speak to our tendencies to exhaust ourselves…to continue on past the point that’s really in our best interests, or even the best interests of the project we’re working on.
– Psychologist, Karen Horneffer-Ginter via “Thrive” by Arianna Huffington
If you haven’t taken a vacation in more than six months – then listen up.
It’s Time to Take a Break.
I know, I know, I know. It’s not that you don’t want to, it just that it’s not the right time, or you don’t have enough money, or your boss won’t let you.
Well I’m here to tell you that you can’t afford not to. If you want to keep running on all cylinders and to be adept at balancing all of the demands life throws your way, to avoid burning out and reclaim your own freedom; then you simply have no choice.
So, I’m giving you a permission note. Feel free to share this with your boss, partner, circle of friends, etc.
“ Dear __________,
It’s time for _____________ to take a well deserved break. To disconnect, recover and reboot their systems so that they can thrive in work and life. This break will greatly benefit you. Honor it.
Sincerely,
Dana Campbell, CPC, ELI-MP”
The letters make me look super official huh?
You don’t have to go to the ends of the earth, do anything wild or crazy or spend a fortune in order to take a break. But you do actually need to plan it, and take it. So what are you waiting for?
…your freedom is awaiting you
Leave a note and let me know where, when and what you’ll be doing to take your well-deserved break. Need more support to bring space and freedom into your career? Book a coaching consultation today with an Optimize Corps NYC Career Coach!