One of My Favorite Topics Is Doing Timeouts.
The value of taking time to relax and do nothing.
Timeout is a topic I will never tire of. That’s because I have seen its immense benefits in my life. One day, I was doing one of those polls on LinkedIn. The focus was on what people preferred from their ideal employer. The options were many growth opportunities, work from home, a huge annual bonus, and multiple opportunities for time off. I chose the latter. My best employers have been those who offered that.
I am an ESFJ. Both at home and at work, I give 110%. So I usually look forward to my time outs. My worst employers have been those who were stingy with timeouts.
Timeouts rewire the brain. These are opportunities to hide from all the noise and rediscover yourself and your hobbies. You gain fresh perspectives which you can use to plan and re-strategize. You pamper your soul, your body, and your spirit.
Many times, I don’t elaborately plan my getaways. Sometimes, they catch me off guard. This weekend, I traveled to a city for my board exams. I booked a room in an Airbnb. I flew in on a Thursday and the exam was on a Saturday. I needed a cool-down period before the exam. I had been prepping for months and the stress had taken its toll. I had caught a bug the weekend before.
I spent the day before the exam sleeping, eating, pampering, and meditating. I screened my phone calls. This was my time. Non-essentials were not welcome. After the exam, I still had 2 nights till check-out. I continued my seclusion ritual. The only exceptions I made were for church service and grocery shopping.
Usually, at the end of my timeouts, I feel refreshed and eager to face what’s next. I doubt I would stop this practice. Perhaps the only thing I might consider doing is putting away more money so that the next experience is better than the one before.