Welcome to episode #211 of the Own Your Best Life Podcast. Taking time off is both a skill and an art. Often we feel like we’re just running off leaving things undone and hoping that no one calls us while we’re gone but realizing that because of the way things are, those emails and calls are going to happen. Or we feel like we don’t deserve to take time off until we’ve earned it via finishing the project or the big thing that’s looming over us so we don’t ever take real breaks. We just are on this constant alert, somewhat attending to work while also not. On today’s podcast, we’ll dive into not just how you can plan your work around time off but how you can do it in a way that has you feeling like a boss.

So if you’re feeling anxious about taking time off, this is completely normal. There’s often even anxiety around scheduling, informing and then asking people if it’s ok for you to take time off. Even if you’re an entrepreneur and you don’t have anyone to report into, you’ll likely feel like you’re somewhat always working as there’s no clear delineation between what counts as working versus personal time.

The biggest thing people do as a result of this anxiety is limiting their time off. They try not to take it.

I remember when I started road cycling years ago someone told me “it’s not if you fall, it’s when”. The same thing goes for taking time off. Whether it’s time off from work or family life, it’s not if you take time off, it’s when. 

At some point, you need to take a break and step out of the room – or the situation – or the deep work you’ve been doing. Whether it’s sleep or the weekend – these are the natural breaking points that we are offered – yet the reason we feel burned out or chronically stressed with trouble sleeping is that we’re not truly resting.

What happens is that we then work to the point where we “can’t do it anymore” and then pull the zipcord and quit or take a long leave. We don’t know how else to do work or life but this way so we cycle back and forth pushing ourselves until we break and then repairing the damage. 

There will inevitably be a time when you have no option and you truly do have to push through a hard slog of work or life demands with very little rest or time for yourself. This is going to happen. Yet, most of our life is not at this crisis or truly urgent level, we just act as if it is. 

This trend of workaholism becoming the norm as well as the increasing rise of chronic stress, which then precipitates anxiety and depression – as well as suicidal thoughts – is a real concern. Studies have shown that those who are dealing with anxiety and depression end up missing an average of 30+ days of work. It might not be intentional or even on your own timeline but you will eventually break down.  

Never fully resting nor fully refueling your tank is like trying to get a car to drive forever and then having to deal with it running out of gas somewhere inconvenient instead of taking the time to go get gas ahead of time. Yes, it feels inconvenient to ever stop. Yes, it feels like you will get more done if you keep going. Yes, there’s dopamine in checking off the to-do list and reading emails.

All of this is why people don’t do the things that will actually create sustainable work and deep impact. When they do this kind of living, they stay at the surface level of life wondering what happened to their innate talents and why they are feeling mediocre at everything they do now.

This is why we are pulling the plug on this strategy of overworking. You are going to do more and more work with increased responsibility – that is a given. Unfortunately, as you move through life it really does become more difficult. You weren’t however supposed to use the strategies you learned as a child, teenager or early adult in this new phase of life.

You are going to learn more and new strategies that are appropriate for this stage of life you’re in now. With the responsibilities you have – the family you have and the workload, emails and projects that are always coming your way.

How to do this? I’m going to share with you a few practical things to do today, that will help you prepare for the time off that you will now be scheduling and taking in advance of needing it. No more breaking down on the side of the road knowing that you are about to run out of gas – let’s save the real emergencies to be handled as they truly need to be handled – no more created emergencies that could have been avoided.

The first thing you can do is to create a list of the things you are working on and what the current status is of each one. This is for you, your team and your manager. Half of the questions you are getting are because people don’t know what’s going on and they need to answer questions they’re receiving about the work that you’re doing. They need to know enough so that they can let you be when you’re off. This is so simple but I have learned firsthand what it’s like when you’re pulling your laptop out in the middle of a trip and taking hours or half days to inform your manager and manage the communication chain of who’s doing what and when. All preventable.

The second thing to do is to schedule meetings in advance for your biggest and most time-sensitive projects. The ones that are going to have to keep moving forward, even in your absence. You’re not just scheduling any meetings, you’re specifically scheduling meetings in advance of you leaving and then meeting for when you return. The biggest questions people will have are “when do we meet next” or “what’s the next step?” This is why you will respond during  your time off when you don’t have these things set up – or why you will be trying to work and think about work because even you are going to think that you need to figure things out and you still haven’t. So schedule these meetings for before and after you return. 

It also sends a signal that you are planning in advance. This is a leadership skill. This shows organization, thoughtfulness and a sense of ownership. This also helps you pace the work to when you are able to meet and when it makes the most sense for you as well. Instead of waiting for someone else to ask and then hastily respond and set up a meeting, you’ll just do it ahead of time for when you are back. 

The third thing you want to do is to inform people in advance that you are leaving. There are a few ways to do this. You can tell people that are on your team 1 or 2 weeks in advance that you’re leaving and will be out. Be clear about the dates of when you’re leaving and back. Another way to do this is to block the calendar so people won’t try to meet with you. Another thing to do is to put a message in your emails ahead of time at the bottom, stating that you will be out on those dates. Putting your autoresponder is also very helpful while you’re out so that people know that you’re not going to respond until a certain date.

These are all simple things to do but often people don’t do this – especially the scheduling of meetings in advance and informing people. We do this because we’re either not even aware that we can do this or we don’t want people to notice. Taking time off does not mean you’re not committed to your work or that you don’t care. If you try to sneak off it will look like you’re trying to sneak off. The more upfront you are with yourself, the more you will actually do the necessary things to plan your work around your time off.

We get into more strategies when you coach with me – of the way you’re working with people and how you show up as a leader in your first 90 days or in the next level version of you. We have whole sessions dedicated to these mindset shifts and the tangible practices so you see your time and your expertise as being valuable and well-utilized. We will literally work through how to stop overworking and become more confident in delivering results while not bringing the stress home to your family and to your personal life. 

This is the path that those I work with take. Going from overworked achievers to spiritual achievers.

If you’d like to become a spiritual achiever, I invite you to watch the free training on how to Stand Out and Lead, using spiritual, high-performance strategies: STAND OUT AND LEAD.

You can apply to join my Spiritual Achiever® program, where you’re going to create your next chapter with spiritual and high-performance strategies to achieve time and financial freedom using my proven method. It’s risk-free. You either start seeing results within your first month or I give you your money back. Schedule your call here at www.mayempson.com/contact.  We’ll see you inside.

Want to know more about what happens when you join?

1. When you join Spiritual Achiever® Coaching you’ll be supported for a full year: Career Revelation Academy: A 5-step career change process (if you have a job you want to stay in, I’ll show you how to love it even more) that can launch you into your next career chapter in 30 days.
2. 2x/month group training and coaching on Spirituality, Achievement, Earth Energy and Harmony. You’ll know how to design your days for breakthroughs, create a personal brand and community, lead yourself and others through change, become more physically and mentally fit, reduce stress and reinvent what’s possible in this next chapter of your life.
3. Discover your Leadership Strengths and Branding Workshop: Increase your awareness of what makes YOU different from others and how to become even better at your genius zone.
4. Your Best Year workshop: Create your one year plan and design this next year, no matter what time of the year it is.
5. Your Next 5 Years one-day virtual retreat: Vision what’s possible 5 years from now and break out of your old routines so you can step into new habits, behaviors and routines.
6. Tickets to all in-person Spiritual Achiever retreats (discounted rates): Highly immersive and intimate gatherings where we spend time in nature, experience energy work, eat and move well – all while making big decisions and committing to what’s next for us.
7. Monthly 1:1 Coaching Sessions: To help you break through obstacles, define your individual path, and to work on both strategy and mindset.

The next step?

Schedule a consultation to get clarity on how coaching can help you on your journey.

Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll receive a calendar invite for a 2-hour deep dive 1:1 session to map out your personal goals and your own year-long journey.

You’ll have immediate access to the Spiritual Achiever process and philosophy – how to achieve your biggest goals and reinvent your life.

You’ll have immediate access to 5 modules of Career Revelation Academy – to love your career even more and launch that next chapter of your career in 30 days.

You’ll have the calendar invites for the upcoming group calls and retreats.

If this speaks to you, I can’t wait to talk to you live: Schedule a consultation.

Reach out at www.mayempson.com/contact for more information on my Spiritual Achiever coaching program. You’ll figure out what’s next and actually go and do it. 

That’s it for this week. Have an amazing one and I’ll talk to you next time.