I’m guessing the title caught your eye, haha. I’ll make this quick. For the first time this summer, I took a week away – and during that week, did NOT check my work email, Teams channels, group texts, calendar or anything else connected to my job. Now, I *love* what I do for work … but never actually took deliberate time away and *really* unplugged.
Did I leave a perfectly zeroed out inbox? No – but I did make a point of telling my students and colleagues that I would be away and *not responding*. I painted a seascape, read two books, enjoyed time with my family, studied a new language (I do love to learn new things). Did I come back to work in a perfect state of mind and completely refreshed? No, of course not! This is real life! But it was indescribably better to come back knowing that I had made those boundaries and stuck to them. It’s hard to quantify, but it made a big difference – and I hope you experience the same.
You may also love your work like I do … but it’s not your whole world. Protect your time, your head space, your thoughts, and find your own way to unplug for more than just a little bit!
Profite bien de ton été, ¡disfruta tu verano!, Xiǎngshòu nǐ de xiàtiān!, and goditi la tua estate in whatever your preferred language and style shall be!
