Out of Office Alert …
I enjoy Right as Rain, a digital publication dedicated to health and wellness.? It’s published by UW Medicine in Seattle, WA and focuses on practical strategies for fostering your health and feeling more fit.? I find the stories/profiles relatable, particularly (these days!) those that focus on ageing, brain chemistry and nutrition.? An article from 2022 titled, Taking Breaks is Good for Your Brain was particularly impactful and has changed the way I think about rest and vacation.?
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Specifically, Emily Boynton considers what happens to your brain when you take time to rest, citing work by Samantha Artherholt, a psychologist in the UW School of Medicine, who notes that “the same consolidation activities that happen in our brains when we’re asleep also occur when we rest”.? More broadly, the article concludes that taking breaks promotes and maintains mental and physical health, in part, by calming your central nervous system and shifting your brain state.? It further lauds the value of walking, meditation and being in nature as strategies for improving overall well-being.? Finally, she encourages readers to do nothing and just … be.??
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None of this comes naturally for me, but – particularly since the pandemic – I’m learning that planning and protecting my vacation time is critical to fueling my capacity for creativity and innovation.? It also feeds my patience and boosts my energy.? Robert Kriegel, in his book How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard concludes that many employees get their best work-related ideas when they’re not on the clock.? I’ve had that experience, and it’s invigorating.? Simply:? taking a break and getting rest is crucial for me personally, but also for my leadership at Sheridan.? The learning community I serve deserves my best self.?
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As summer break begins in earnest for those of us with school-aged kids, I’m encouraging everyone to recognize the value of relaxation and recalibration. Rest by getting more sleep and finding ways to minimize your exposure to stimuli. Also though:? shift your brain state by engaging in new activities, reconnecting with friends and family and doing something you’re passionate about. ?One of our colleagues, for example, shared that he goes by himself to Niagara and sits in front of the falls for a few hours to enjoy their power and beauty.? Another talked about taking a walk in the woods at her cottage and the value of forest therapy. ?
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Personally, I’m reenergized by weekend walks with Ken, watching my kids do what they love, and cuddling with the two Great Danes who let us live in their house.? I also get tremendous joy from volunteering at Camp Ak-O-Mak and digging in my garden.? You can expect to get my out-of-office reply for three+ weeks in July and August.?
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Life is complicated, and the world isn’t getting any less volatile, complex or uncertain.?? However you choose to spend your vacation, I hope it (re)fills your bucket.? We need your best self at the table, too.?
Program management and planning specialist, focused on inclusive and equitable outcomes by leading with empathy and kindness
7 个月It's important to see leaders model this behaviour. All too often we are told to take breaks and vacations as a means to restore mental health and well-being, yet finding the appropriate time to do so isn't easy. Particularly, coming back to full inboxes and playing the catch-up game feels almost counter intuitive. To help balance the worry of returning to more work, I've learned to clearly identify boundaries and manage expectations. For example, an out of office message that states you are not accessing emails, or that there will be a delay in responding to emails upon returning to the office. We need to give ourselves grace, and can probably expect others to do the same for us. Cheers to you Janet Morrison for helping to disrupt past practice. We need more leaders doing the same things across various organizational practices to create more decent and stable work places.
Communications professional. Announcer. lululemon Run Ambassador.
7 个月Enjoy your time off! Will I see you at the Barrie triathlon again this summer?