our community
TIME TO UNPLUG By Eustacia A. English, MBA, CDR
I
t’s time to unplug. We need to stop glamorizing and overworking ourselves. Yes, I said it! Burnout is not a badge of honor. Burnout is real, zoom fatigue is real. Your well-being is important. Give yourself a break and take time off to unplug, relax, and release. Sometimes you may feel guilty about leaving your job for a vacation or even just a day off. But before you let the guilt sink in, remember that you have a right to it. It’s included in your benefits package. Would you toss away $2,000? If you don’t use your vacation time, you’re effectively doing the same thing. Taking time off will make you a better leader, improve your family life, and most importantly, keep you healthy. I always tell myself, as well as my team, that the work will be there when I return. As teammates, we will cover for each other and they will protect your work while you’re out of the office. While we are away, most people believe that no one else can accomplish the work at hand. This isn’t always the case. We may hold these views to help create a sense of “job security,” or we may have genuine trust issues with our coworkers, but making use of your PTO is critical, and you and your coworkers should find a way to support each other during vacations. Traveling broadens your cultural horizons, making you a stronger leader and better able to understand diverse people, cultures, and experiences. When you return to work, simply having new experiences will help you be more imaginative and tap into your creative side.
8 | BLACK IN HR
Spending your vacation time with your family is a great way to keep your connection strong and maintain a solid support network at home. When you return to the office, you can focus 100 percent on work since your family is happy. Additionally, maintaining your health is critical to surviving your career journey. Vacations have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and depressive episodes according to healthnet.com. Personally, it has definitely reduced my stress level. Money spent on experiences lasts longer than money spent on things. Instead of spending $4,000 on a couch, go on a wonderful journey you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Nobody we know has ever regretted going on an amazing trip. You’ll thank me later. You know what they say, “The world is your oyster”, so schedule your PTO and don’t look back. Will you regret missing two weeks at work if you got to see The Great Wall in China or Athens, Greece when you reflect back on your life? Or maybe you got to spend two weeks hiking or visiting your hometown with your kids? Whatever you choose to do, those memories will be worth it, and you’ll return to work refreshed because you unplugged! Balance is the key to life and work cannot take up all of our time. We need to spend time with our families and friends and do the activities we enjoy. In the long term, this makes us better workers. Now go ahead and request a day off. You will be happy you unplugged..u WWW.THEBLACKINHR.COM
