Make sure you’re taking time AWAY from work to recharge your mental, physical, and emotional batteries! #LYNNSIGHT
This past weekend one of my “college buddies” came to visit. Computer OFF, mind occupied, fun activities planned and executed.
Work never entered my mind.
The bonus is that I was recharged – refreshed – ready to go once she left.
Add to that a conversation I recently had with Anita Nielsen (Owner of LDK Advisory Services LLC) where she talked about some activities “scrubbing my brain” and leaving her feel less stressed and less overwhelmed.
In a world that seems to expect 24×7 access to EVERYTHING and EVERYONE – it’s impossible to be the best leader and manager you can be when you allow this to happen.
In June the Harvard Business Review published an article titled Managers, Encourage Your Team to Take Time Off gives 6 strategies on how to do this. I wonder though if the leaders and managers who read them are taking the advice for themselves (and paying attention to #4).
- Provide clarity – not only do you need to ensure you understand how policies impact YOU, also ensure you are communicating that you will NOT be available to both your team and your boss(es).
- Redefine vacations – you may not be going on a trip abroad, but how about a trip close to home? Check things out a couple hours away that you could take as day trips. Perhaps an outdoor attraction you’ve never got around to seeing.
- Demonstrate care – maybe you need a day in your pajamas on the couch, watching movies. Perhaps you really need a day off to switch from summer to your fall wardrobe (it’s a thing for some of us). Maybe you want to build something… repair something… take care of something. Make it happen.
- Model behaviors – easy to say, not always easy to do. Unplug! Recharge. Come back refreshed and ready to work.
- Change durations – I love this idea: “shorter breaks more often — an afternoon every week or a full day here and there.” I’ll admit I’ve not considered taking an afternoon off weekly or even every other week. I am now.
- Activate a team – I’ll take this a step further. Don’t only have someone cover for you; pick someone who you are each willing to actively work with the other person’s team while they are out. It’s amazing the impact of a different perspective or different way of explaining something can have on salespeople. Take advantage of your time off to have another leader work with the people on your team.
I’m going to challenge you to look beyond this week to next and schedule an afternoon off where you TRULY are unavailable to anyone from work.
If you can’t be gone for 4-hours you need to rethink your leadership and management strategies.