The Power of A Pause
Do you ever wish you could go back to your childhood school days, if only for those seemingly endless days of summer vacation? I don’t know about you but I sometimes find myself longing for those idyllic days when there were very few responsibilities outside of spending time with friends and simply having fun.
When we’re younger, we likely don’t realize what a gift this time truly is. And as we get older and our list of competing priorities grows, it can be easy to lose sight of just how valuable it is to take time for ourselves away from the stressors of everyday life.
A 2019 study by the U.S. Travel Association found that a record 768 million vacation days went unused in 2018, with 55 percent of workers reporting they didn’t use all of the paid time off their job offered. And unfortunately, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you consider our “always on” work culture, which makes many people feel like they just can’t afford to take time away.
But there’s a growing body of research that shows that taking time off positively impacts not only our mental and physical well-being, but also our job performance. People who prioritize time off have been shown to have lower levels of stress, decreased risk of heart disease, increased motivation, and a more positive outlook on life.
And the good news is that even when you can’t get away for an extended trip, you can still experience some of the same benefits by prioritizing breaks throughout your work day and honoring non-working hours throughout your week. Let’s dive into the various ways you can tap into the power of a pause…
Throughout Your Work Day
Throughout your work day, pay attention to any mental or physical cues that you need a break—maybe you’re having a hard time staying focused on a singular task or your body is feeling stiff or sore. To initiate a pause, start by taking a deep inhale and exhale, and asking yourself, “What do I need right now?”
Research shows that even short breaks throughout the day can help improve our mood and job performance. To make the most of these “microbreaks,” do an activity that uses a different part of the brain than the one you use for work. You could go for a walk, spend some time outside, have a healthy snack, do a brief meditation, say hi to your co-workers, or even draw some silly doodles.
Off the Clock
Remember that “always on” work culture that I mentioned earlier? Because of this, we’re often still connected to work in some way even when we’re officially off the clock. Whether we’re ruminating about deadlines, checking our email, trying to knock a few “little” things off our to-do list, or even taking calls outside of our usual working hours, it can be challenging to fully disengage. And with many of us now working from home, the separation between work and home life is even more blurred.
But fully disconnecting from work at the end of each work day and on off days can have a huge impact on our well-being. Research shows that employees that are able to effectively mentally disengage during non-working hours report improved sleep quality, better mental clarity, and increased life satisfaction.
If you struggle to honor your non-working hours, try setting a boundary to not check your work email or answer work calls after a certain time in the evenings. On the weekends, it might be helpful to set an automatic “out of office” reply on your work email or even completely turn off work-related notifications on your phone. These simple strategies can help you stay connected to the present moment and enjoy your non-working hours more fully.
By Plane, Train, or Automobile
Perhaps the most obvious way to tap into the power of a pause is to take an extended vacation away from work. Try to reframe the way you think about vacation time—don’t think of it as an indulgence, but rather as a necessary way to invest in sustainable leadership and your long-term health and well-being.
Here are a few strategies to make the most of your vacation time:
Before your trip, designate an “Out of Office On-Call” person or team with colleagues. Ask them to be on-call for you during your absence to answer questions or take care of any issues if they arise. In exchange, offer them the same on-call services when they’re out of office. This way, you can build trust with teammates, while allowing yourself to fully unplug.
When you schedule your “out of office” email reply, set it up to last until one day after your vacation ends. That way, you’ll give yourself a little breathing room to follow up with people upon your return.
During your vacation, make an effort to fully unplug from work. If you feel you must check in, try to limit it to once per day and give yourself a set amount of time (30 minutes or less).
To stack the benefits of vacation, prioritize spending time in nature on your trip. Spending time in nature is linked to improvements in mental health and emotional well-being.
If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, a “staycation” can be just as beneficial to your health, provided that you treat this time just as you would if you were going away. Keep your brain active by checking out an area in or around your city that you’ve never been to, trying a new cuisine, or exploring a new hobby.
If you find it challenging to commit to longer time away, consider taking more frequent, shorter vacations. Even a long weekend away can have an impact on your well-being.
Try to keep your schedule lighter on your first day back at work and give yourself a few days to fully catch up on emails and other to-dos from your absence.
Start planning your next vacation now! Data suggests that even looking forward to a vacation can have a positive effect on cardiovascular health and reduce stress.
We hope you’ll utilize some of these strategies and start prioritizing more intentional pauses in your life. If you’re looking for a place to start, join us for our One-Day Mindfulness Retreat coming up on August 5th. This will be a great opportunity to unplug from life’s daily noise and distraction and come away refreshed, renewed, and re-energized.
Mindfully yours,
Ashley