Recharging

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." ~Anne Lamott

I'm officially on recharge. My company gives employees who have been working full-time for 5 years 30 days off for what is referred to as 'recharge.' It's basically a sabbatical which you can use however you want. Honestly, I'm so grateful for this opportunity and immensely appreciative of my teammates for supporting my work while I'm away. I think the last holiday I took without checking my work phone or emails, that was longer than one week, was in 2012.

The idea of taking this much time off is a bit scary. So many of us are conditioned to be connected to work through technology that we check work emails almost automatically without thinking - it's muscle memory at this point. I'm finding it a bit tough to pull away completely. Is it FOMO? (Fear of Missing Out)? Am I just so conditioned to working hard that I won't recognize myself when I'm not? Will I find out I don't like my own company? Will I find it too hard to tap into my creativity like a child who can paint, read a book or play an instrument for hours on end without interruption? In order to truly disconnect, I think it'll be necessary to pull the proverbial cord and remove any work apps from my phone. And I fully expect it might take a few days to get used to this unfamiliar sense of detachment and replace it with connections to something else entirely.

So what plans do I have, you might ask? I'm planning to really use this time to recharge, reset and build in some good habits while I'm at it. I have some courses booked for learning and betterment. And I'll use this time to connect with friends and family.

As I embark on this journey of recharging, I'm reminded of the wisdom in Anne Lamott's words. "Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?" is something we ask so often of the technology in our lives, but it's rare we ask this of our ourselves. Sometimes, stepping back and unplugging is the best way to rejuvenate the body, mind & soul. So, here's to a period of self-discovery, growth, and a renewed sense of energy.