I am taking December off. This is the last blog post of 2024, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss the advantages of taking time off and how to spend it. Many people, including myself, have wondered, “What will you do all day if you don't have to work?” Work has taken over so much of our lives that we can't imagine life without it. Let's move away from that narrative and mindset.
Benefit 1: Reset
After spending countless hours working, running errands, achieving goals, tending to obligations, managing an entire life, and essentially being on the go, it is nice to have a hard stop. This creates space for an opportunity to reset our minds and lifestyle. In the technology world, when a device isn't working properly the first solution is to reset it. Whether that be turning it off and turning it back on or completely wiping it blank and starting fresh. Think of yourself as a device and this time off as the much needed reset that grants you the power to start anew.
Benefit 2: Catch Up
Using the same technology analogy, sometimes a device requires a reset, while other times it just needs a moment to catch up. Have you ever been working intensely on your phone or computer with multiple tabs open, typing rapidly? You glance at the screen and realize the words haven't appeared yet, so you pause to let them catch up with your typing speed. We can apply this to our lives. When overwhelmed with responsibilities, we might need a moment to catch up. Taking a break allows us to regain this time. There are no new tasks coming in and we can focus on the old, uncompleted ones.
When overwhelmed with responsibilities, we might need a moment to catch up.
Benefit 3: Priortize Self Care
Taking time off is essential for self-care, and prioritizing yourself is important. We shouldn't underestimate this issue. Taking a significant amount of time off is a big deal. There's often guilt associated with taking a day off or attempting to take a week off, especially when your department is understaffed and coworkers might have to work overtime. This is a crucial point for me, but instead of letting the government and large corporations pit us against each other, we should unite against the real issue. These companies could hire more staff and genuinely promote taking time off, but many choose not to. This shouldn't be your burden to carry. I understand that you have a deeply empathetic heart, so why is it difficult to extend that love and empathy to yourself? Don't you deserve a break after all your hard work?
Benefit 4: Helps You Set Boundaries
Consider this: dedicating 1-6 weeks solely to yourself establishes a significant boundary. Afterward, defining what you will and won't do with your time becomes much easier. Informing your boss, clients, and colleagues that you'll be unavailable for the next 6 weeks is challenging, but the real test comes from friends, family, and especially significant others. Here's why: they know you're off work for 6 weeks and may assume that with all this "free time," you're available for more responsibilities, whether it's household chores, childcare, socializing, or running errands. It's almost an unspoken rule that since you're free, your time should be spent helping everyone else. This is problematic. You didn't take a break from one job just to take on more work. It's unfair to you, and this is where setting firm boundaries becomes difficult. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't help at all. If you can contribute a little, by all means, do so. I'm simply freeing you from the obligation. It's unfortunate that many of us feel the need to lie or withhold information from loved ones because we anticipate additional stress from them. Your time off is yours. If you were unavailable from 9-5 due to work, feel free to remain unavailable from 9-5 during your time off if you wish. That's the essence of boundaries: you get to choose them.
How To Spend It: Loved Ones
When I lived in the same city as my granny, I visited her home every weekday morning. She would prepare breakfast for me, and we’d spend 4-5 hours watching True Blood together. We chatted during the show, and it was a wonderful way for us to bond. I know many of your loved ones might be busy with work or school, but if you have a sweet grandmother, grandfather, parent, or anyone with a flexible schedule, why not spend time with them? Those were some of my happiest moments, and it's a ritual I deeply miss since moving away. This wasn't out of obligation or request; it was something I chose to do with my time and if family is one of your core values and you desire to spend more time with them, then this is something you can do with yours.
How To Spend It: TV Shows
Catch up on your TV shows! I mentioned that my granny and I would binge-watch True Blood. Is there a TV show you've been wanting to binge-watch but haven't had the time for? Take this time to do so. I understand, spending all this time off just "watching TV" might seem unproductive. But that's part of the issue with society. We dedicate 11 months, 48 weeks, 335 days a year to work and productivity. What's wrong with spending 30 days doing "a bunch of nothing"? If you prefer reading, use this time to catch up on books you've been wanting to read. Relaaaax
What's wrong with spending 30 days doing "a bunch of nothing"?
How To Spend It: Skills
Enhance or refresh your skills. Are you a baker? Do you love cooking? Painting? Skating? Bowling? Juggling? Singing? Dancing? Whatever it may be, take some time to reconnect with activities that bring you joy and spark your creativity.
How To Spend It: Productivity
Finally, if necessary, taking time off can be an excellent opportunity to address all those "Need to Do Things." Tasks such as cleaning the garage, attic, or decluttering can be completed during this period. Those mundane chores like updating your will, choosing life insurance, or making doctor's appointments can now be managed since you have plenty of time. The list of "Things I’ll Get Around To When I Have Time" can be tackled now. So, get started on them!
I hope you all have wonderful holidays and enjoy the last of 2024. I'll talk to you next year!
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