From time to time, taking a break from work is necessary to recharge both your personal and professional batteries.
Whether you plan a week-long vacation in one of the world’s most-sought-after-vacation destinations, go for a glamping min-break, or if you intend to spend your time off from the comfort of your sofa – it’s crucial to take a break from the demands of your professional and personal life to minimize your stress levels.
Yet, Americans left an average of 4.6 vacation days unused last year. From having too heavy a workload to fearing what colleagues might think, there are many reasons why US workers only take a percentage of their vacation allowance.
Regardless, it is essential to understand that you’re not dodging responsibility and that you deserve a well-earned break from time to time.
More importantly, it is crucial that you enjoy your time off so that you feel as though you’ve had enough time away to return feeling fully refreshed. If you’re ready for a recharge, there are plenty of ways to do so without feeling second-hand guilt, some of which we outline below:
Make Preparations For The Following Morning
Although we’re confident that you can find better ways to enjoy your time off work, preparing for the following morning can be valuable for occupying a spare fifteen minutes of your evening. Let’s face it; nothing is worse than running around like a headless chicken on your day off, trying to find something to do, or trying to fit everything you want to do into a set couple of hours.
Whether you need to be out of the house early the next morning for a jaunt with friends or planning a day at home catching up on the housework – there are several ways you can save yourself stressing. From setting several back-to-back alarms to ensure you’re up and out of bed by a specific time to preparing and setting your coffee maker – anything that saves you several minutes of your morning.
If you cannot function without a caffeine fix in the morning, consider teaching yourself less time-consuming ways of preparing your morning brew from experts like Cup & Bean. Whether you’d like to answer, what is a frappe coffee? Or learn how to make other popular coffee orders; their website covers you no matter what level your barista skills might be.
Equipped with an online store and a blog filled with articles that cover everything from coffee making, the production process, the origin of coffee, different brewing techniques, and answering FAQs like, what is a frappe coffee? Plus, many more. Consider visiting their website for more information, and see how their help and advice could help you enjoy your time off work more.
Get Your Body Moving
Depending on whether you’re an active person or not, the thought of dragging yourself out of the house and down to the gym might sound like the least enjoyable way to spend your time off work. However, physical activity is one of the best things for improving quality of life and reaping the benefits of movement.
From reducing certain physical and mental health risks to improving our mood, getting the recommended daily exercise is an excellent way to spend your time off work, especially if you spend most of your time at work stationery. The best thing is, even if you’re not the most active of people, you can get your daily exercise in from the comfort of your own home or without having to go far away!
Whether you choose to take the family dog on a long walk, cycle down to the shops, walk to a close friend or relative’s house, or complete an at-home workout in your living room – you can get your body moving in a variety of ways and reap the benefits of doing so.
Even if going to the gym on your day off sounds awful, something as low-impact as yoga, cycling, or walking is enough to get your endorphins pumping and make you feel better.
Catch Up On Sleep
According to studies, 94% of workers working in the professional service industry work over an alarming 50 hours a week. Due to this, many US professionals dedicate a chunk of their time off work to getting out of sleep debt. When you don’t have any work commitments, classes to attend, or children to take on the school run threatening to disturb your sleep, what’s better than catching up on sleep, right?
However, even if we’re struggling to keep our eyes open long after our alarm has gone off, something about sleeping in on our day off work stirs up feelings of guilt deep inside us. Since sleeping in is often considered a form of laziness, many US workers try to avoid this stereotype by filling their time off with commitments even if they feel drained from the previous workweek.
Yet, there is nothing wrong with sleeping in and in small doses; it can even provide many benefits. From having a better attention span, feeling more alert, reduced stress levels, and much more, catching up on a couple of extra winks during your time off work can help you recharge and make you feel ready to work upon your return to the workplace.
Treat Yourself
Ultimately, you want to spend your day off in a way that leaves you feeling relaxed and ready to go back to work with a smile (and a story to tell your co-workers!). Typically, this involves doing something you wouldn’t do during the work week as a ‘treat’ to reward yourself after battling with deadlines and many other work-related tasks.
Whether you try out a new restaurant nearby or run yourself a bath with extra bubbles (and a bath bomb to boot!), you can make your time off feel a little bit more special by doing an activity you love. Though you’ll rarely be able to spend your entire day off doing something you love, ensure that you find the time to include hobbies or activities you like most so that you enjoy your time off.
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