Making your time off work for you
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, the festive season provides the perfect opportunity to take time out for yourself and switch off from the stress of work. Whether you are a company director, or you direct traffic, everyone needs to take a break from their jobs and busy lives to recharge the batteries.
Why take leave?
According to health insurer Australian Unity, taking time off from work has immediate benefits in decreasing stress, and in many cases pulling people back from the brink of burn-out.
Reducing stress helps ease the negative health impacts that go along with it, such as headaches, anxiety, and high blood pressure – even depression. Getting some much-needed rest and relaxation can also reduce the risks of heart disease.
Taking time out to properly rest and rehabilitate your brain can also extend life expectancy, improve overall mood and relationships with others, and even increase productivity once we do get back to the daily grind. It’s a win-win for everyone!
How to switch off?
Sometimes, relaxing can be difficult. For many people, the Christmas period comes with its own stresses – family tensions, too many parties (especially if you are hosting) – but it can also be the best time to totally switch off from work. Many workplaces shut down over Christmas/New Year, which means you won’t be bugged by colleagues or clients who are still at work.
Here are some other tips to make the most of your time off:
Relax! It may sound obvious, but sometimes holidays can be anything but relaxing. Make sure you take some time out to actively relax – even if it means doing breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.
It’s natural. Spending time in nature can be a great way to unwind. Taking a dip in the ocean, walking through the bush, or just lying on the grass looking up at the clouds – or the stars at night – can all help improve our emotional and psychological health.
Use your brain! It sounds counter-intuitive – you are meant to be giving your brain time off from all the work strains. But engaging your brain in something else can help keep out any thoughts about work – so grab a book for yourself or to read to the kids, or spend some time on your favourite hobby (or perhaps learn a new one).
Music soothes the savage beast! Listening to music is a great way to improve your mental health – throw in a few dance moves, and you are also working on your physical wellbeing.
Just do it! Executive coach Melody Wilding recently wrote in Forbes magazine that relaxation should be seen as an investment, or “recovery” which she said was “a more active, purposeful process” making time off more “meaningful and necessary”.
Switch off – literally! Turn off the work email alerts on your phone and pack your work laptop away.
We can help
At Rehab Management, our Corporate Health services are all about helping to take care of employees’ wellbeing to ensure a happy, healthy, more productive workforce. Find out how we can help.
