Burning out quickly over here!
My birthday is coming up soon, and I’ve decided to treat myself to some time off.
That seems so crazy when you think about your cushy job and all of its benefits, like paid time off (PTO). I think a lot of people, particularly in the last year, have not taken advantage of this benefit.
Guilty here as well. Part of it has to do with not having anywhere to go. Part of it has to do with slow hiring by the government to fill a space on our team. And part of it is this work from home (WFH) environment.
Don’t get me wrong, I love teleworking and am grateful to be able to do it. But I do notice some small downsides, like feeling like you always have to seem available. I’m pretty good about closing up my office at the end of the day. I refuse to check emails at 10pm. Obviously, if there was some known emergency happening, I’d make adjustments, but that’s incredibly rare.
I’ve been super bad about taking time off , and it’s starting to show.
So this week, I’ve taken some days off. No place to go. Not much to do. I have a small to-do list that’s mainly things I WANT to do during my week. I’m treating as a FIRE preview.
So I plan to go on some outdoor runs. Declutter my home. Work on my small business. Cuddle with my dog. Get my hair done. Read some Stephen King.
“Self care” has become kind of cliché in the last year, but it really is important to allow time for things you enjoy in life. It’s painfully short.
Any plans to travel, relax, treat yourself in the coming weeks?
-K