Last Updated on March 26, 2020 by Ade Aprilia
I’ve always loved to take some personal day
If you know me well, you would know that I have mastered time. . .
. . .by easily taking time off from work randomly without feeling guilty. . .
. . .and I can still manage to finish my deadlines before going for a holiday with ease.
I am a believer of freedom. . .
. . .and I know that to live a healthy, productive life. . .
. . . it’s critical to take control and manage your time in and out of work in an empowered way.
So, take time off work? Yes!
This type of break requires action. You must intentionally pursue it.
With that in mind, I know when I’m taking a few weeks off of work, I’d be completely respect myself. No phone calls, no emails, no meetings. Just quality time with those I love most soaking up this season of joy, wonder, and hope.
When Stress Gets The Best Of You, Don’t Think Twice About Taking Time Off Work!
In fact, it’s not just justifiable; it’s essential for our health and wellbeing.
Many many people feel and believe they don’t have any control over their lives and time. As a result, they’re exhausted to the point of non-functioning.
That’s, my friend, just an illusion! Have an attitude that you have all the time in the world, and you’d see what I mean.
When you haven’t been able to concentrate, think clearly, or manage your emotions effectively, it’s probably time to use a free pass. Taking a mental health holiday lets you recharge, resets your perspective, and allows your body and mind to rest.
Although you may not be able to plan a full year in advance if you know you want to take a few days, or a few weeks, off for the holidays, start planning now.
Take Action And Get Your Holiday!
So, do you want to take time off work with ease? How is it for you when the holiday is right around the corner?
This time can easily turn into a mad dash for the finish line as we hustle to end the projects actively. Although it may be unavoidable to bypass the busy workdays or urgent pushes to finish client work before the holiday, it’s important for our well-being to think strategically about how we’ll tackle this.
Personally, I view this as an opportunity to carve out some much-needed rest into my schedule. I’ve learned that taking time for myself, pursuing a true season of rest and refresh, requires action. We must intentionally carve out the margin in our schedules to enter into any period of quiet, stillness and a refresh.
And I want the same for you, love! This is why I’m sharing the very steps I take to ensure this uninterrupted period of holiday cheer, rest, and way too many happiness happens.
Want to Take Time Off Work Without Feeling Guilty?
Read on:
1. Set An Intention
It’s important to set an intention to take a good care of yourself.
Take a moment to be still.
Take a breath and get present to your life.
Imagine what the most magical, special, memorable holiday would be like for you this time.
Jot down a few words that capture the essence of what you just imagined.
For me, I use the word: love, calm, magic.
Next, pull that together into a sentence and phrase your intention in the NOW, as though it is already achieved. Be precise, but not limiting.
Mine is like this:
And then I let that go.
I promise you that if you do this, it will make such a huge difference in how you experience your holiday. You will create awesome memories, feel less stress and just enjoy things more.
Try it and let me know how it works for you!
If you need help to let go of your guilt and set a goal before the holiday, you can download the free guided audio I made for you.
You can just put your best email below, and you’re good to go.
2. Communicate With Clients In Advance
It is no doubt that communication plays a vital role in human life.
Let your clients know that you’ll be out of the office for an extended period of time long before you actually, leave the office!
Personally, I include a section at the bottom of my email signature that outlines upcoming “out of office” dates.
On top of that, I start sending out emails two weeks before the fact to each client individually as a reminder that my holiday break is coming up soon.
This gives us ample time to wrap up any loose ends, make solid headway on their project, and set realistic goals for what we’ll accomplish after I get back from my holiday.
3. Add A Buffer
This, to me, is the most important step to take. When I look at the days that I will be away, I mark off a couple of days before and after my actual vacation time.
Why?
I need the “before” time to prep. This is everything from finishing up client work to packing.
For a few weeks, started before the holiday and wrapped up two days before the holiday, I’d take an uninterrupted break from the day-to-day of my businesses.
That way, I have confidence that my clients would be satisfied and my business would be perfectly running by itself when I wasn’t around.
I found my current clients respected me for taking this time for myself; the new client inquiries still trickled in, and my business flourished as a result of my ability to re-invest in myself over the holidays.
As a result, I am able to be fully present for the holidays with my loved ones, pour back into myself, and gain clarity for my business ahead.
The “after” time serves a couple of purposes.
First, we all want to ease back into “normal” life when we get back from vacation. Give yourself permission to have an extra day or two to assimilate.
Second, as you have all experienced I’m sure, that email inbox will be quite full! I’ll need time to go through it!
4. Create A Smart Auto-Responder
But what about new client inquiries that come in while you’re away?
The last thing I want is for a potential client to send me an inquiry, not hear from me for two weeks, and then think I don’t value them as a result.
In an effort to avoid hurt feelings and terrible misunderstandings, I create a bulletproof autoresponder that I use for the duration of my holiday break.
I also update the text on my website’s contact page to mention my out of office dates, and as a result, my delayed response times.
This makes it clear to potential clients that I will respond to them as soon as I’m back in the office and completely avoids any potential miscommunication.
5. Be Confident To Delegate Important Task
This used to be the most difficult part for me. I struggled to take time off work because I viewed myself as indispensable. What would they do without me!? What if my business went wrong?
Neither is likely to be true.
Instead, I tell myself that being able to take holidays shows that I’m on top of my business and confident enough to delegate important tasks. If I manage a team, their being able to function without me for a fortnight demonstrates that I’m a good boss, not that I’m unnecessary.
I fully understand that choosing to take an extended break for the holidays takes thought, preparation, and hard work. And as I go into my ten years of this, I can truthfully say that it’s always worth it.
If you need help to manage your time and take time off work, please feel free to book your complimentary breakthrough session with me. I’d be glad to walk with you through that!
Now you.
Will you be taking time off for the holidays? How do you balance this time of rest with your current workload?
Feel free to leave a comment and let’s get our chat on.
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