My wife, Michel, after completing a three-year graduate program studying Architecture, started her career last week.
This was pretty exciting for both of us. We were able to see all of the long hours, hard work, and sleepless nights pay off in Michel receiving an offer from her dream company, Gensler.
**As you sit reading this… go ahead and give a little round of applause. We’re incredibly proud of her. 🙂
Last week was mostly orientation meetings, but she was able to start her first project.
Of course, being her first opportunity to “prove” herself to her new firm, she worked tirelessly to complete her first assignment.
On Monday this week, she came to the time in her day where it was time to take her lunch break.
I remember her coming into our living room where I was working nearby at the kitchen table, saying, “What am I supposed to do now?”
I laughed, but she seriously was not sure what to do with an hour of time where she was not supposed to be working.
This mindset developed during her time in grad school, where she underwent a rigorous work schedule, often reaching 16-20 hours per day.
Now that she’s being paid for her talents, rather than paying, she’s able to take breaks for meals and stop working at 5:30 or 6:00 in the evening.
This is new.
After she made this comment, and I ended my bit of laughter… I recommended she sit down, relax her mind, and watch a show. And she did.
But this got me thinking.
There are probably many people out there who don’t know what it looks like or feels like to step-away from their work to spend time recovering.
Rather than stepping out of the office to watch their favorite show, they just plow right through their lunch break, working feverishly to climb the ladder, reach what our world deems “success” and achieve all of their goals.
While working hard is important, resting hard is equally important.
As Michel is learning this week, taking time to step away from your work not only affords your brain the mental break it needs to perform at its best, but it also helps you remember to enjoy the process, and keep your priorities in line.
So, my challenge to you this week is to find a few times throughout your days to schedule in some recovery time.
Here’s a few examples:
- Go for a walk
- Watch an episode of your favorite show
- Play with your dog/cat. (although, not sure if you can actually play with a cat?)
- Call a loved one.
- Exercise
- Take a nap
- Read a book
Of course, there are many other options… find something that works for you. Something that makes you smile and takes you away from the busyness of your work.
I think you’ll like the results.