In partnership with Hillside Beach Club, leading wellness professional, Adrienne Herbert, tells AllBright about the physical and mental health benefits of taking a proper break from work.
How long has it been since you took some proper time out? Or at least spent a few hours away from your inbox? If the answer is “a long time”, then fear not: you’re not alone.
For many of us, the concept of a break away from our daily grind has felt near impossible over the past two years. With our homes transformed into our offices, it’s been difficult to keep the ever-blurred lines between our professional and personal lives distinct, leading to a wonky work/life balance that has left many of us feeling exhausted, stressed and burned out.
But while it can be incredibly difficult to carve out space in our ever-busy lives for a proper break, the benefits of doing so are plentiful. As anyone who has ever experienced the joy of turning on their out of office auto-replies will tell you, taking the time to press pause on our work lives can feel – in a word – amazing. And there are (unsurprisingly) a number of mental health benefits associated with literally stepping away from our desks and embracing some time off.
And embracing time off is at the heart of the ethos of luxury travel resort, Hillside Beach Club. A beautiful resort situated on Turkey’s glittering Turquoise Coast, Hillside Beach Club offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to switch off. The resort encompasses a luxurious spa, not one, not two, but three beaches, a swimming pool and even a nature trail to explore, all geared towards relaxing. It’s the ultimate place to take a well-earned break from work, before returning refreshed and rejuvenated.
Adrenaline junkies and those who love to be active on holiday are also well catered for at the resort, which offers an impressive array of water sports. Guests can try their hand at adventurous, motorised water sports, such as water skiing or sky sailing, or explore an underwater world with scuba diving. Or why not spend the day sailing? There are numerous tours on offer, as well as options for private tours. Added to the resort’s renowned service, this really is a great destination to gather the family together for some much-needed time off.
Keen to hear more about the mental health benefits of taking time out, and learn some strategies for switching off from work, even if you can’t take some annual leave just yet? We spoke to Adrienne Herbert, a leading wellness professional, international TEDx speaker, podcast host and author, for her expert advice. Best known for her brilliant weekly podcast, Power Hour, Adrienne has interviewed guests including Dame Kelly Holmes, Tom Daley and Emma Gannon, as well as many others. The podcast has already had over 2.5 million downloads and Adrienne has also released a book by the same title, currently being translated into five different languages.
Read on to discover Adrienne’s wise words on the importance of maintaining a good work/life balance, as well as her expert advice on carving out time for yourself, both today and in the future.
What effect has the pandemic and home working had on our general ability to switch off from our work each day and during the weekends?
We are witnessing a seismic shift in the way we all work and live as a result of the pandemic. Many people are now questioning whether they’ll ever return to the office full-time; instead they’re exploring new hybrid and digital-first solutions to work. This, of course, has pros and cons. If we are working and living in the same space, it’s important to draw some invisible lines between our work and our life, in order to be able to disconnect and switch off. Our environment can have a big impact on how we feel, both physically and mentally.
When I’m working from home, I like to have a clear start and end to each day. I usually go for a walk or a run in the morning, before sitting down at my desk to log into virtual meetings or tackle my inbox. At the end of the day, I make sure that all work-related things (such as notebooks, to-do lists, laptop, recording equipment, etc.) are put out of sight. I try my best not to allow any work to overflow to the kitchen table or the bedroom, as this helps to keep those spaces work-free. If I’m working from home all week, then I make plans for the weekend to go out, meet up with friends, and explore new places together.
Why is it important to have a good work/life balance?
When we lose our work/life balance it can have a detrimental effect on our health, our relationships, and our overall wellbeing.
If we really interrogate and define what it is that we value the most, it becomes much easier to create a work/life balance. Sure, I accept that there will always be some compromises and sacrifices along the way, but I refuse to simply work 24/7 today in order to pursue a future life of enjoyment and happiness. Too often, tomorrow’s plans stay tomorrow’s plans. In reality, your life is happening right now; not just at the weekend or during your summer holiday. It is essential that we balance living our lives today with working to pursue future rewards, both material and otherwise.
Why is it important to ensure we take proper time away from work? What are the health and wellbeing benefits?
Taking time off allows us to create some space between ourselves and our work, and this is essential for our wellbeing. No matter how much you enjoy your work, the digital world allows us to stay connected and ‘available’ all the time. This makes it really hard to ‘log off’, and to place work both out of sight and out of mind. You might not realise how detrimental this is for your health and wellbeing, but it may be impacting your sleep, daily activity, mood and energy levels.
When you take time off, it’s great to release the feeling of other people's expectation on your time. Turning on your email out of office response is such a relief, because you’re letting others know that you're not available. Perhaps that’s why you might be able to sleep so much better and truly relax when you go away on holiday.
What does proper time off from work look like in both the short- and long-term?
Personally, I think it’s valuable to schedule some ‘white space’, or time off, into your calendar every week. This might only be a couple of hours, or a day at the weekend, but doing this regularly will allow you to recharge before it’s too late and you reach a point of burnout and exhaustion.
Last year was the first time since the start of my career that I decided to take an entire month off work. My son has six weeks off school during the summer; so I cleared my work schedule throughout August and I didn’t do a single email, podcast, meeting or work call. Whether you’re a full-time employee, an entrepreneur or a business owner, I highly recommend carving out a significant amount of time off work in advance. You can negotiate and align the time off with relevant team members, let everyone know that you won't be available and, if necessary, make a financial plan too.
At first, it might sound radical or indulgent to take a month or more off work, because we’ve become so accustomed to centring our lives around work. But you might be surprised to learn how easy it is to implement, and how rewarding it is, too.
What are the potential issues that might arise if we don't take time away from work? What advice/tips do you have for people struggling to switch off from their work?
If you’re someone who struggles to switch off from work, even when you’re not there, here are some things to try…
1. Break the habit. If you’re used to checking your emails and WhatsApp messages every hour of the day, it’s going to feel strange to suddenly change a daily habit overnight. Try turning off notifications and logging out of your apps on your phone; this way, you’ll have to enter a password every time you’re tempted to scroll through your inbox.
2. Refocus. Set yourself a challenge that requires focus. It doesn’t have to be a big task; something simple like completing a puzzle, baking a cake or organising your wardrobe could be a good way to switch your attention away from work.
3. Lose track of time. So much of our time is scheduled and planned. Next time you have a day off, try to forget about the time completely. Do whatever you want for as long as you want to, without checking the clock.
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