Take a Personal Day

Many of our clients come to us stressed and nearing a breakdown. They don’t understand how they got here, but we do. Too much work, not enough play! 

Our society is set up to honor workaholics. We prioritize office time over family time, and those that work longer hours are considered more a part of the team, no matter their quality of work. But, this is a very destructive attitude, and our society is paying for it. We are more stressed, burned out, depressed, and anxious than ever before. But, we promise this is not another thing for you to worry about, because there is an answer – personal days.  

Many Americans have vacation time that they save and stock pile until they no longer have the time or ability to take the time. This is changing with younger generations who are making fun, adventure, and travel a priority, but luckily this is something we can all benefit from.  

You have the personal days, so use them! This can mean finally taking that two-week vacation to Italy, or just taking one personal day to sleep in and read the paper. It doesn’t matter what you do, but this year, we are challenging you to use those personal days.  

The key to taking your vacation days and not feeling guilty about them is scheduling them in advance. Unless you are saving them for one big trip, take a personal day once a month. Put on your calendar, request the leave from your supervisor, and make sure your colleagues no that you will not be in the office that day. Make sure your projects are done and that your out-of-office reply is activated. The key here is – and we mean it – DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR WORK EMAIL. In fact, we recommend shutting off your phone entirely and staying away from social media and email. Just be in the moment and do something that truly relaxes you.  

And, if you can, get a friend or partner to take the day off with you. Vacation days are much more fun when enjoyed with loved ones.  

Maybe you can’t take a personal day every month, and that’s OK, but don’t save them unless you have a specific use for them. By taking your personal days, you will be a better employee and human, and you’ll be happier!