Taking a Break: Our Favorite Reads

One of the things I miss the most about my pre-pandemic life is traveling. Every year, I’d figure out a destination I wanted to explore, save up for a trip, and plan my vacation months in advance. It was my way of actively unplugging from work — I never even brought a laptop. Then, last year happened. “Time off” started to feel entirely meaningless. I found myself thinking, “What is the point of taking a break if I can’t go outside, see other people, and explore?” By the holiday season, I had nearly three weeks of unused vacation days — and not enough time to use them. Looking back, I can see that I was using work as a coping mechanism. My job was (luckily) one of the few stable, familiar things I could count on last year. It got me through the uncertainty and made me feel valued and busy while the world continued to change. Somehow, along the way, I internalized this idea that vacations also needed to be “productive” to be enjoyable. This year doesn’t feel much different. While some countries like the U.S. and the U.K. opened up earlier this year, parts of India were under a partial or full lockdown throughout the summer, following a deadly second wave. This prolonged, existential dread has made me recognize that there’s no escaping change — or my feelings about it. For my health, I’ve begun to be more intentional about taking time off and rethinking what it means to go on “vacation.” In the process, I’m learning that a vacation doesn’t have to be an elaborate voyage. It can be whatever I want it to be: a day off to read a book, go on a long drive, or just catch up on sleep. Shifting my mindset in this way hasn’t been easy, but I’m trying. And doing so has helped me re-prioritize the things that matter to me outside of my work — looking after my health, spending time with family, and reconnecting with friends. Recommended Reads We All Really Need a Vacation. Here’s How to Make the Most of It. by Art Markman With things looking better in many parts of the world, it’s time for a reminder not only that you need to use your vacation time, but of how to make the most of it. How to Host Your Own Virtual Happy Hour by Robbie Samuels If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s this: You don’t need to meet in a physical space to meet new people and develop meaningful connections. But how do you really get started? Host a happy hour! It might feel awkward at first, but trust us, it’s worth the effort! 7 Ways to De-stress When You Can’t Go Outside by Michelle Bihary While advice like “go for a walk” or “get some fresh air” was easy to follow pre-pandemic, how do we de-stress when we can’t safely go outside? Here are seven ideas. Thinking of Skipping Vacation? Don’t! by Rebecca Zucker If you’re like me and thinking, “What’s the point, I can’t really go anywhere,” I want to say, I totally get you. But the truth is this limited thinking is not really helping us. Research shows that taking a vacation makes you more productive, lowers stress, and improves your overall mental health. Don’t Work on Vacation. Seriously. by Laura M Giurge and Kaitlin Woolley Here’s the thing: It doesn’t help anyone. Research shows that working on weekends or holidays can have a significant impact on your intrinsic motivation, and lead to both lower employee satisfaction rates and lower quality of work. Like what you see? This article is adapted from our weekly newsletter.

Taking a Break: Our Favorite Reads

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