THE WEEKLY PAGE đ No. 181
How I recharge on vacation + this week's picks for work, wellness, and wonder.
Reporting live from a little getaway on the Danish island of Ăerø, which means this weekâs âworkâ theme isâŚrest.
In a society where we are constantly connectedâŚwhat does it actually mean to get away from our work and recharge?
As a solopreneur with a *very* small team, I donât employ people who take over every aspect of my business when I step away. Itâs still on me to publish posts, respond to customer service issues, and monitor sales or promotions even if my âVacay Modeâ hat is securely fastened to my head.
And I know that isnât a feeling exclusive to the self-employed. The ability to âwork from anywhereâ and âalways be connectedâ makes it hard for any of us to truly disconnect and get the rest we crave.
So this week, Iâd love to share a few ways I try to get that mental respite, despite needing to stay semi-engaged and involved in my business:
TURN OFF UNNEEDED NOTIFICATIONS: Avoid getting pulled into things unnecessarily. Turn off pop-up notifications for things like Instagram, Facebook, news aggregators, and even email. (Iâve actually kept these 100% off, 100% of the time, for the past four years.)
LEAVE HOME WITH A LIST OF YOUR MUST-DOS: It can be easy to do âbusy workâ on vacation out of guilt or anxiety. To avoid this, create a short, specific list of the mandatory tasks or needle-moving work you HAVE to do while out of office.
CREATE A CHECK-IN SCHEDULE AND STICK TO IT: Decide whatâs realistic based on your position/business, and try not to check in on work outside of that schedule. This will help you avoid getting pulled into work unexpectedly and can help you mentally separate between work and vacation.
CREATE A âSENSORY GUIDEâ: What are the specific things about vacation that make you feel recharged? Reading in the sun? The smell of the sea? Taking long walks? The sound of birds? Sunset yoga? Eating fresh local seafood? I like to list these out according to the senses: things you can taste, feel, smell, hear, or taste. Do as much of them as you can, and do your best not to compromise.
IDENTIFY A COUPLE VACATION GOALS: While work can distract you, anxiety about having a âgreat vacationâ can also prevent you from actually relaxing and enjoying it. I avoid this by identifying a few key experiences or core memories I want to create and then go with the flow the rest of the time.
KEEP THE VIBES: Listen, Iâm not trying to glamorize having to work on vacationâŚbut if you gotta do it, you might as well make it enjoyable. Do your work outside. Use it as an excuse to spend an hour in a local coffee shop or library. Make your favorite beverage. Find a spot with an incredible view. Work from that fluffy hotel bed and order room service!
Alright, a bicycle and some winding island roads are calling my name. Back to the real world in just four short days! See ya next week.
đ READ: In the latest installment of âwomen just trying to survive in a world made for menâ we have a study from Mayo Clinic showing menopause symptoms cost American women roughly $1.8 billion per year in lost productivity. Seeing as how menopause is something that impacts roughly half of the population, it seems crazy that we donât talk about its impact on focus + productivity more. Read the article here (also, the comments section on this one is good! SO many people relate to what the study showed.)
â¨ENJOY: Got headaches?! Sinus infections? Imagine an eye mask that heats up and gently massages your eyes using pressurized air. 𼰠My friend Cal kept raving about this specific Eye Massager, so I grabbed one as a gift for my mom. While I havenât tried it out myself, she has also given it glowing reviews, and I felt compelled to tell ya about it! Buy one on Amazon.
đ READ: Activists are currently urging President Biden to declare a climate emergency, and while Iâm not one for climate alarmism, I agree this should happen, and this article from The Guardian does a great job of explaining why this is necessary.
đ˛ EAT: Prepare yourselfâŚbecause this recipe is violently midwestern đ Itâs just not summer to me until Iâve been to at least one event that involves a cream-cheese-based chip dip! And this one has it all: cream cheese, pickles, ranch seasoning!!!! Remember: a healthy diet is one that makes room for comfort foods. Grab the recipe here.
đŹ Commment & chat! Anything in this weekâs newsletter spark your curiosity? Have questions? Got a recommendation of your own?