Taking Time Off Is Not A Waste Of Time

Lately, I've been hearing a lot people complaining that they are overwhelmed and stressed out over their jobs. One way to remedy work-related stress and overwhelm is to simply take some time off, even for just a short while, and do something that lifts you spirit. Why not? You deserve it!

Unfortunately, there are those who insist that they can't afford to spend time outside of the realm of their jobs and careers. In actuality, when you think of the consequences, you really can't afford not to. Taking time off is not a waste of time. It's a recharging of your inner battery.

This year I've been working diligently on a variety of new projects. These past few weeks I noticed I was feeling very anxious and my optimistic attitude was dissipating. I felt like I wasn't reaping the fruits of my labor fast enough and I had serious doubts they I ever would. It was obvious to me that the door to the "Negative Zone" was wide open and I was about to walk in. I wasn't going to let that happen.

I decided to take a four day weekend off from work, free from e-mails, cell phones, and text messages. In other words, I was putting my career on temporary hold. I promised myself that I would not take my job home with me and I would not make any decisions regarding my new projects. My only goal was to engage in activities that would make me feel good. That's exactly what I did.

Within those four days I read a book, spent quality time with my wife and family members, (4 Labs and 6 Exotic Birds) invited some friends for dinner and laughed my butt off!! These are the very things that nourish my soul and connect me to spirit. Somewhere along the way I lost site of that.

Taking time off was very refreshing to say the least. It made me realize that I was blowing most of my concerns out of proportion. I simply got caught up. We all do from time to time. This special time-out gave me the positive energy I needed to move forward with clarity and confidence.

I'm not asking you to run away from your problems at work. I'm suggesting that you simply step away. When you step away from the worry and chaos that so often comes with success, you are not quitting. You're energizing your spirit. And don't be surprised when you go back to work with solutions to problems and new insights on the very things that were causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed.