A few months ago, I booked a vacation to India. Leading up to it, I jammed away for weeks to get everything done, so I wouldn’t have to bring work with me.
In other words, in preparing for leisure, I pushed myself to the brink of burnout. Clearly, I’m not alone: according to the American Psychological Association, burnout and stress are at an all-time high, with nearly 80% of Americans experiencing work-related stress.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. While vacations are one way to relax, sporadic breaks aren’t enough to replenish your drained mental reservoir. To beef up your burnout reserves, you’ve got to get better at shifting from work mode to doing things at your leisure.
Your Brain on Rest
Thanks to our busyness culture, we’re experiencing a toxic-positivity trend called “idleness aversion,” where people actively avoid relaxation. When you choose labor over leisure, you rob yourself of the vital opportunity to rejuvenate and re-energize.
You also inadvertently sabotage your ability to, well, work. As Charlotte Fritz, PhD points out:
Breaks can improve our moods, overall well-being, and performance capacity.
And by “break,” we’re not talking about a weeks-long retreat. Instead, you can develop daily routines to signal to yourself it’s time to knock off.
Leisure Suite
Creating and holding clear boundaries between work time and downtime is easier than you might think. Here are a few simple science-backed ideas you can incorporate into everyday life:
- Say “buh-bye” to your workday: Power off your work tools (computer, apps, etc.) — and keep them off until morning.
- Choose a wind-down song: Just like baseball players get up to bat to a rockin’ riff, find a soothing tune to transition out of work mode. (Mine’s Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds).
- Get changed: Even if your work-from-home attire is sweats, change into something even more comfortable to signal it’s time to relax.
- Don’t talk about work: What you discuss dominates your attention, so skip the debrief and choose to chat about other topics with friends and family.
- Have fun: Reward yourself for a job well done with something you love doing, like a favorite hobby, a bike ride, or a glass of wine with a friend (raises hand).
- Give yourself a faux commute: If you work from home, end your day by taking a walk around the block or, if the weather isn’t cooperating, do something you’d do in your car, like listen to a podcast or audiobook.
- Connect with a friend: Call or text a buddy — science says friends improve well-being by lowering stress and increasing happiness.
As you can tell, a little leisure goes a long way. All you have to do is get in the habit of giving yourself a break.
10 Genius Ways To Switch Your Brain Into ‘Leisure Mode’ (Huffington Post)
