4 ways to unplug
Yes, you can take time off while staying on top of work responsibilities. Here’s how.
March 29, 2022
By Peter Kwon, CPA
Have you tried turning it off and on again? No, not your smartphone: your mental and physical well-being.
Unlike machines, humans do not have hard drives that will keep us running nonstop. We all need sufficient time to unwind, recharge our batteries and unplug ourselves from the daily obstacles and hurdles of our careers. It has been proven that taking time off regularly restores creativity and productivity, increasing one’s overall happiness and the ability to keep positive levels of productivity. Here are a few ways to unwind and to maximize work-life balance without falling behind on your responsibilities:
1. Explore interests that allow you to disengage temporarily from your career.
Find an activity that you love and give it your undivided attention. As an added incentive, challenge yourself physically. Whether it be playing pick-up basketball at the local gym, going on a hike or taking a hot yoga class, be active and get the blood pumping. Take a spin cycle class, go visit the local ice-skating rink, gather up some friends and visit the driving range — couple your time away from the keyboard with physical activity to work up a sweat. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, hormones that will cause your pulse to speed up and give you a pleasant feeling — similar to being in love. But speaking from experience, if exercise is not appealing, chocolate is known to release endorphins as well.
2. Prioritize appropriately.
Leave lower-priority emails that you receive after normal hours for your future self to address in the morning. As a courtesy, respond to the sender and let them know when you expect to look into the issue. Addressing every single email you receive when you are out of the office perpetuates a toxic work culture in which colleagues feel pressured to have to reciprocate by responding right away in return. Instead, sort out the non-urgent emails not requiring immediate action by flagging them within your email software and aim to respond during normal work hours. Trust me, your present self will thank you. Go ahead and fire up that Disney+ account for another Star Wars episode. Baby Yoda and the entire galaxy is waiting for you, my young Padawan. Burnout can become a major issue when you try to accomplish too much and can affect every aspect of your life, including your health. Taking steps to ensure that you are being effective in your position without overwhelming yourself is one of the key paths to ensure that you are setting yourself up for success.
3. Utilize technology to your benefit.
If you have yet to create an Outlook calendar meeting with yourself, try it at least once within the new year. Using technology to keep track of your daily tasks is beneficial because it provides a more regimented way to monitor your busy schedule. In addition, this method of maintaining your calendar fosters more effective communication with members of your team so that they can be aware of your work status. It is also helpful to update automatic responses for both internal and external recipients when you are out of the office on leave, and to continue to proactively disseminate your schedule and work hours with the rest of your team. In addition, be sure to arrange for a trustworthy colleague to be your point of contact if any emergencies do arise when you are out of the office.
4. Have a plan.
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Set your alarm with precision in the morning and take a minute to jot down your intentions for the day. This should include time spent throughout the day for self-care, commuting and eating nutritious meals. A healthy diet leads to a nourished body and mind, which will allow you to optimize your energy throughout the day. And be sure to use your commute efficiently. On my drive into the office, I like to catch up on current events and listen to podcasts that I would otherwise enjoy in my spare time. I like to jump on conference calls and catch up with friends and family in an effort to be productive on my commute, hands free. One last underrated secret to being productive and to maximize work life balance is to get a good night’s sleep. Instead of counting sheep at night, try to list things that you are grateful for or recap valuable takeaways from the day. Try to end the day on a positive note so that when that alarm goes off in the morning, you are ready to reach your full potential with a smile on your face.
The benefits of unplugging and taking time off include staying engaged and satisfied at work. Employees with great work-life balance tend to be more productive, enthusiastic and refreshed, which is often extremely contagious to fellow coworkers. Time off is one of the most valuable benefits an employee receives, and this leads to not only talent retention but also talent attraction. A company’s culture around work-life balance and vacation from upper management downward is the key to their employees’ engagement and commitment to the firm.
By exploring interests that you may feel passionate about, prioritizing appropriately, utilizing technology and having a specific and measurable plan, you will be able to unwind and maximize work-life balance without falling behind on your position responsibilities.
Peter Kwon, CPA, is a senior tax associate at BDO, USA LLP in the Core Tax Services group in the Greater Washington, D.C., office. He is a member of the VSCPA Young Professionals Advisory Council. In his free time, he is traveling, scuba diving, snowboarding, skydiving or cheering for his Washington sports teams at a nearby bar. Find him on LinkedIn here.