Time Off At Work

Today I'm excited and grateful to be a stop on a virtual book tour so that I can share this must-have resource to help you unleash the power of taking a break.   

Have you ever read something and thought that this is truly more of a movement than a one-and-done something to read? That's precisely how I felt as I turned each and every page of Time Off by John Fitch and Max Frenzel.

Perfectly timed for this unusual press-pause time, this empowerment tool has prompted reflection about my need to stay hyperactive, busily engaged, and in constant motion and invited me to get better at slowing down to savor and resting to restore. Because, according to these two authors, "rest is productive." I've never really thought much about rest ethic before, but I especially connect with the idea of it being the exhale in a deep, intentional, mindful breath. It helps sustain our passion, they say. Wait; increased stamina? Read on, my friends.

The authors recently gave an interview and kindly allowed me to share their answers to these three questions which will likely pique your interest and leave you wanting more. Rest, that is. And some time to enjoy Time Off.

What is “Rest Ethic”?

Take a deep breath in. You can think of your work ethic as this inhale. Task list—inhale. Project execution—inhale. But you can only inhale for so long before you get very uncomfortable. Eventually we all need to exhale. This exhale is your rest ethic. Even though many of us seem to forget about this, it is just as essential. It allows us to build up our enthusiasm and sustain our passion. Gaining a fresh perspective—exhale. Project ideation and “aha” moments—exhale. Letting big ideas incubate in your mind—exhale. And just as a deep exhale prepares you for a better inhale, your rest ethic enables you to have a better work ethic.

A great rest ethic is not just about working less. It’s about becoming conscious of how you spend your time, recognizing that busyness is often the opposite of productivity, admitting and respecting your need for downtime and detachment, establishing clear boundaries and saying no more often, giving your ideas time and space to incubate, evaluating what success means to you, and ultimately finding and unlocking your deepest creative and human potential.

What are small things people can do every day to recharge?

Instead of lunch at your desk or a meeting in a conference room, you can go for a walk and discuss or call a loved-one and talk about the little things in life that make you happy. You can talk about hobbies with your coworkers and discuss what value those activities bring to you. If you are having a creative funk and can’t get an idea out, it is OK to press pause and step away because you can’t force creativity. Ideas need time and new environments to properly incubate. You can pick a time where you call it a day and shut off your work-work. Have a wind-down schedule and routine at night that allows you to prepare yourself for bed rather than reading emails as you lay your head down. Starting and ending your day with time off practices outside of work is a great way to ensure you that you show up for work your best self. And developing little time off rituals, like brewing a cup of tea or coffee, or taking 5 minutes to doodle in your notebook, can also be great to sprinkle throughout the day whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed.

Maybe the biggest thing people can do is to actually schedule their time off in the same way as if it was an important work meeting. It will probably take time, but slowly unlearning the guilt associated with this is also important. We hope that with the book we can convince people that they are not harming their productivity with this, but actually allow themselves to become more productive and creative, while at the same time being less overwhelmed and stressed out.

Plus, throughout the book we have several time off pages where we give you creative prompts to help encourage you to put the book down and try them out!

Why is solitude so important?

Finding our unique and disconnected self has become an increasingly scary and daunting quest for many of us. Rather than relishing and seeking solitude, we equate it with loneliness and are trying to avoid it at any cost. Self-reflection, particularly when we are not used to it and might feel like our life is lacking in meaning due to an underdeveloped leisure life, can be painful and scary. But embarking on this quest is worth the pain. It might unveil some void in our lives that we have tried to ignore, but it will also point us toward filling it.

One force that keeps us on the seemingly safe shores of connectivity, far away from confronting our own undisturbed thoughts, is the addictive power of connected technology. And it is not just a connection to others which creates the noise that disturbs our solitude. Solitude can essentially be defined as being free from input. So even when we are physically alone, it doesn’t mean we are experiencing solitude. Most of us are constantly listening to music, playing with a variety of apps, or reading the news. Even the briefest moments of solitude and boredom are banished now and replaced by quick glances at our smartphone. We no longer find any time to just be alone with our own thoughts.

Our work environments have also transitioned to places designed around social and group activities. Teamwork and group projects are more and more highly valued and seen as the gold standard for productivity. We value teamwork and collaboration above all else. But all too often this just wastes a lot of time and attention, leads us to perform visible busyness rather than being productive, and prevents us from actually engaging in undisturbed concentration. Yes, communication is necessary. But the amount of communication and the number of different channels have gotten out of control, and it is completely numbing our ability for deep thought, self-reflection and contemplation, and unhindered idea incubation.

For many, the mention of solitude immediately conjures up the idea of loneliness, isolation, and anti-social behavior. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. If we can not find solitude, we will inevitably find loneliness, no matter how hard we try to drown it out with digital and social noise. Constant online companions and thousands of “friends” or followers don’t fill our inner void. The lack of true and deep connection just amplifies it. The way out of loneliness is to embrace solitude. Solitude actually allows us much more to reflect on our interaction with other people, experience gratitude toward them, and have much more meaningful connections when we do spend time with others.

So to boost your creativity, take a rewarding journey into your own mind, and improve your connection with those around you, consider spending some time in solitude, whether that’s an extended solo trip into nature, or just an evening alone at home with the internet turned off. We’re convinced that the initial discomfort you might experience will eventually give way to a blissful and rewarding experience.

Unplug from our devices and plug in to what matters;
now that's a sound suggestion.

Am I the only one singing Simon And Garfunkel's
The Sounds Of Silence in my head right now?

With historical and real-life examples alongside actionable practices,

Time Off is filled with ways to find bliss, 

another beautiful bi-product of rest ethic.

It felt like permission granted, to be rather than to do.

If you're ready to carve through the chaos as you

build the capacity to do nothing so that you can

reap the benefits of time off at work (and from work!), 

then the time is now to check out this radical newcomer.

And get this: If you're still with me, you've just stumbled on a generous giveaway from the publisher. Just leave a comment between now and Monday, June 1st, with your favorite way to recharge for a chance to win a copy of Time Off. Then stop back on Monday afternoon and see if our Wheel of Fortune landed on your name. (Postage available for U.S. addresses only)

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a hammock calling my name.