5 reasons to make time to switch off!

Posted on 5th August 2021

August always feels like an opportunity to relax. Even if you haven’t booked a holiday or you’re still working, many people are consciously looking at ways to take the pressure off. It’s the perfect opportunity to take stock. For some people this is hard, when you’re in business or leadership you may not easily switch off, even when you’re on holiday. If you have mastered the art of switching off for a few weeks a year, you’ll know the benefits.  For those that struggle, here are  5  benefits of switching off! 

  1. Rest

It’s obvious but we don’t always do what we know we should. Your body and mind need time out to restore and repair. It’s that simple. There’s a level of hard work that can feel almost addictive. You can grow accustomed to feeling slightly sleep-deprived and getting through on adrenalin. You may be highly effective at multi-tasking and getting things done but without rest, you are depleting your energy and potentially endangering your health. 

  1. Rejuvenation is the end product of  rest

When you rest you get an automatic sense of relief from tiredness and then when you get to the next stage it’s restorative. You have to be very intentional about it, if you don’t deliberately switch off the laptop/computer, put your out of office on you, you can be seduced into responding to the odd email and before you know it, you’re in full work mode and the brain isn’t resting at all.  Many of us can relate to that irresistible ‘pull’ of the inbox, the ‘allure’ of the pending list. It’s tough and obviously, if you’re responsible and there are urgent things to attend to that are time-sensitive, they have to be done. The trick is to try and allow yourself an allocated time  slot and then STOP.

  1. Enhanced creativity

Rested and rejuvenated, your creativity will be at its peak. Many people are delighted by the abundance of fresh ideas they get when they take time to rest and recharge. It may be in that long walk in a park or on a beach that you get inspired to start an idea or change an old one. This creativity might allude  you when your schedule is jam-packed with meetings, deadlines and the tyranny of the ‘to-do list’. It need not be on a trip away, given where we are and the ups and downs of travelling some people are postponing going away but you can take a staycation or you can create a holiday feel at home. 

  1. Achieve balance

This is a vital element of well-being. It’s about being able to feed the different aspects of our mind, body and soul and achieving alignment with personal, well-being and professional/ business goals. This can be so elusive at times but balance is a goal worth pursuing. We live in a world that can glorify being busy but being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive. It’s when we take time out, we can take that long walk, have a leisurely lunch, connect with our families and partners and even connect with nature and surroundings without being a slave to a work schedule. This creates balance and more focus.

  1. Renewed perspective

 Taking time out provides an opportunity to reflect on a very deep level about life, business and what we like and what we want to change. This can be so vital if we are stuck, scared or just want to change. Stopping can actually be a great way to reframe how you think about an issue or how you wish to proceed in a particular area.

A trip away, a staycation or recreating a holiday at home is not just a leisure activity it’s a well-being and personal development necessity. 

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