The fast-paced culture surrounding our day-to-day functioning can be exhausting. Whether we are buzzing around getting that last thing checked off our to-do list, or at work, we have given ourselves limited time to sit back, relax and give our mind and body a break.  These little things often result in a lack of productivity and are a cause of stress in all areas of our lives. If we don’t press the pause button and give ourselves a break, burn outs are likely to happen.

It is crucial that we as employers, or as employees learn to break away from work to rejuvenate our mind and body. It can start by turning your phone and computer off during the lunch hour and doing something “non-work related”. Take a walk, go eat nourishing food, pick up your favorite book or sit with nature. According to the Harvard Business Review, 50% employees feel burnout and loneliness at work because of overexerting and inability to slow down, an increase of 32% in the last two decades. ¹

A trending term in organizations has become “sabbatical”. This is a period that employers offer their employees to take off work. It is longer than a vacation and allows employees to gain new skills, travel or refresh their minds. In the past, academics would take the 7th year off, but more organizations are adding this to their perk package for employees. This can be an attractive perk for many and help keep employees after they have worked a certain number of years. The employee must have worked a certain number of years and come back to the same job or similar position. ²

Sabbaticals can allow individuals to reset their mind and return to the organization with increased skills, experiences and positive attitude benefiting both the employer and employee. However; this isn’t always an option offered for many depending on the company or organization they work so here are tips you can add to your routine.

Try These Easy Tasks to Improve Your Health & Wellness:

 Create a Vision Board

A vision board is a great way to get those creative juices flowing and set attainable goals for the present and future. A vision board allows you to think about what you foresee in your future. put it together on a board to help you manifest or motivate you towards these goals. It can be travel, exercise, work, financial or starting a new family. Whatever it is, make it fun, and start practicing positive manifestation into your life.

 Learn Something Fun

Got a favorite book, game or podcast you love but can’t seem to find time to listen or read.? Well stop making excuses and give yourself 15-minute breaks to walk away and focus on yourself. A few minutes of something inspirational will give you the boost you need for the rest of the day or potentially week. There are countless inspirational, motivational and humorous podcasts available for free today. Find something you enjoy!

Share your Time  

There are hundreds and thousands of organizations looking for volunteers. Whether you can commit to once a month or more, pick something you are passionate about. If you don’t know where to begin, get on the computer and research. Doing service for others benefits YOU as much as those you are helping. The selfless act help build self-esteem, confidence and enlighten our mind and body with compassion and love.

Create New Experiences

There are always fun things to do in and around your city daily and on the weekends! Find your local city links and try new things. Go to festivals, food shows, movie in the park, take a new class, go for a long drive with no agenda. Bring new smells, sights, feelings to create openness in your mind as this will help build excitement and change in our day-to-day routine.

Learn to Say No!

People pleasing, saying yes and later feeling exhausted is quite common in our personal and professional lives. Often this can be exhausting for the mind. It is okay to take time for self, to turn down invitations or ask for extensions or simply say no to tasks that just don’t fit your schedule. 

Looking for more?

There are a number of other ways you can learn about how you can take advantage of your company benefits and what you are eligible for as a Canadian employee Average Vacation Time Canadians Get  

Remember to also plan vacations and weekend getaway alone or with your loved one and see how your productivity at work can benefit from these 5 Facts How Vacations Increases Your Productivity

Interested in learning more? See below for an incredibly informative infographic with all you need to know regarding sabbaticals.

Click to Enlarge Image

References:

Citation 1: https://hbr.org/2017/06/burnout-at-work-isnt-just-about-exhaustion-its-also-about-loneliness

Citation 2: https://www.discover.com/personal-loans/resources/major-expenses/sabbatical/