Take the Vacation

I bragged about never using a single vacation day in my first job. I took sick days when necessary, but never took a single vacation (even just a long weekend trip) in two years.

Since I've been in my current role (a little over 4 years) I have taken 3 separate weeklong+ trips and numerous extended weekend trips. As I was setting my out-of-the-office (OOO) email for my vacation earlier this month I got a little self-conscious about putting my return date because it seemed so far in the future. In reality, it was only 10 days later.

I settled on just saying I would reply to emails upon my return and left it reasonably open-ended but made sure to give the phone number to the office if they needed help. It wasn't a case of whether I deserved this vacation or I worked enough to earn this vacation. It was that I needed this vacation.

Time away from work makes you more productive at work. Whether it's a week or a few days it's imperative to take time off. This prevents you from burning out and helps you recover from burnout.

I could have let the stress and anxiety from worrying about other people's opinions affect the vacation. I could have spent hours checking work emails. However, I worked to create boundaries. I allowed myself 15 minutes a day to check emails - delete spam and make sure nothing was burning down. I encouraged my coworkers to text me only if they truly needed me. They did and it was not a bother at all. I was able to help and then go on about my day. Having these boundaries helped me enjoy the trip more.

So no matter what career you have - one on wall street, full-time mom, farmer, teacher, or anything in between. I encourage you to take some time for yourself. It doesn't have to be a 10-day trip to Alaska (although I highly recommend that). Turn off the email notifications on your phone. Turn on that OOO reply. Schedule everything or plan nothing. Hike and adventure outdoors or go to the beach and read a book. Overall, take the damn vacation.

Do you want blog posts about the Alaska trip?

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