Anyone Else Need a Vacation from the 'Vacation'?

Alright y'all, I'm back in the office as of yesterday after being out and offline since the beginning of the month. Naturally, I've been hit with the usual "How was your time away?!" "I hope you are well rested" "You look good! You are glowing." As I continue to progress and grow both personally and professionally, particularly in the intersection of career and workforce development, I've resolved that transparency and authenticity are essential in this space. It’s okay to be honest because you might be releasing someone from the societal norms that bind us.

Now, don't get me wrong—I LOVED my time away. I spent it with my husband and children, drove to visit my parents, and handled some neglected items that I can’t get to while working. However, if we’re keeping it all the way real...I feel more tired coming back to work than ever before. Then it hit me: I was still doing labor, but exercising my other identities in a much greater capacity.

Being a mom, a wife, a big sister, the eldest child—my body finally 'caught up' to all I’ve been doing for months. The one entity not fooled was my body. It broke down in more ways than one, and I was so frustrated because how dare I not feel well during my time of "unplugging." This realization struck me: there is a distinct difference between a family vacation and legit R&R, and guess what? That's okay!

I'm not going to lie. I felt guilty because I just wanted quiet. With a toddler whose routine is being changed in the name of vacation and a bonus baby entering pre-teenhood, that was never in my future, haha. I am more committed than ever to finding time just for me, and I hope I can encourage my LinkedIn family to practice this truth-telling with ourselves. We can’t keep performing and putting on a front because, ultimately, our work, the people we touch, and the impact we attempt to make will only suffer. Our work starts with us.

As we navigate our careers and personal lives, let's embrace the authenticity that allows us to thrive genuinely. Here's to finding that balance and ensuring we take care of ourselves first so we can continue to make meaningful impacts.

#WorkStartsWithUs #AuthenticLiving #CareerDevelopment #SelfCare