Day 248 of 2026- Practicing What I Preach: When Time Off Really Means Off

 Hi Friends,

Yesterday, I told you to take your long weekend. Today, I am practicing what I preach and taking mine.

I have a family event, so I decided to take an extra day off and make it a proper four-day weekend. No half logging in, no “just checking my email really quickly,” and no carrying my laptop around just in case someone needs me.

Off means off. That sounds simple, but I know it is not always easy to do.

Why Is It So Hard to Disconnect?

Technology has made it possible for us to work from almost anywhere. That flexibility can help, but it can also make it hard to know when the workday has actually ended. Our email is on our phone. Messages arrive throughout the day. A quick notification can immediately take our attention away from the people and experiences directly in front of us.

We may tell ourselves that we are only going to check one email. But that one email leads to another message, a question that needs an answer, or a problem that suddenly feels urgent. Before we know it, we are mentally back at work.

Even if we do not open the laptop, simply checking our inbox can change the mood of the day. We begin thinking about everything waiting for us, planning our response, or worrying about what might happen while we are away.

Our bodies may be at home, at an event, or on vacation, but our minds are sitting at our desks. That is not truly taking time off.

Time Off Is Meant to Be Used

Many of us struggle to use our time off without feeling guilty. We worry that the team will be too busy, that something important will happen while we are gone, or that taking a break will make us appear less committed.

But paid time off is part of our employment. It is not a special favor we are asking someone to give us. It exists because people need rest, personal time, family time, and space away from work responsibilities.

There will always be more work; another deadline will appear. Another meeting will be scheduled, and another message will need an answer. If we wait until everything is completely finished before taking time off, we may never take it.

Work never reaches a magical stopping point where nothing needs our attention. Sometimes we simply have to decide that we have done what we can, communicate what needs to be communicated, and step away.

The inbox will wait.

Being Present Is Also Important

This weekend, I want to show up for my family event and actually be there. I don't want to look at my phone while someone is talking to me. I do not want to step away to respond to a work question or spend part of the event thinking about what is happening at the office.

Family events and long weekends do not come around every day. Work will still be there when I return,  but this particular weekend will not. The conversations, laughter, food, and time with family are happening now. If I am only half present, I cannot return later and experience those moments again.

That is what I want to remind myself whenever I feel tempted to check my email. The message can wait; this moment may not.

Preparing to Truly Step Away

Taking time off becomes easier when we prepare. Before leaving, I can finish what genuinely needs to be done, let the right people know I will be unavailable, and share information about anything that may need attention.

Then I have to trust that others can handle what happens while I am gone, and that trust matters.

If only I can do something, it will still be there when I return. If an urgent situation arises, the organization will find a way to respond. One person should not have to remain constantly available for everything to continue functioning.

I also need to remove the temptation to check in. That may mean silencing notifications, keeping the work phone out of sight, or deciding in advance not to open my email.

A boundary is easier to keep when we make it clear before the temptation arrives.

Rest Does Not Always Mean Doing Nothing

This weekend won't necessarily involve sitting around doing nothing. I have a family event, and there may be plans, preparation, travel, and plenty of activity. But rest is not always about being physically still.

Sometimes rest means stepping away from one part of our lives so that we can give our attention to another. It means allowing our minds to focus on the people we love instead of carrying work into every space.

A family event can restore us in a different way. It can remind us of who we are outside our job titles and responsibilities. We are employees, CEOs, etc., but we are also family members, friends, parents, partners, and people with lives that deserve our attention.

Practicing What We Tell Others

It is easy to encourage someone else to take a break. We tell our coworkers to enjoy their vacation. We remind our friends that they need rest. We may even write a blog post telling people to take the long weekend.

But do we follow our own advice? That is where practicing what we preach becomes important.

If I believe rest matters, I need to make room for it in my own life. If I believe family time is valuable, I need to be present for it. If I tell others that work can wait, I need to allow my own work to wait too.

Otherwise, they are just nice words. This weekend is my opportunity to live the advice I gave yesterday.

Off Means Off

So that is the plan. I am going to show up for the event, enjoy my family, and allow the inbox to wait. I will not half-log in or quickly check what is happening.

When it is time to return, I will return. I will read the emails, answer the questions, and continue the work. But until then, I am off.

If you are taking time away from work this weekend, I hope you allow yourself to do the same. Prepare what you can, communicate clearly, and then disconnect.

Be where you are.

Enjoy the people around you.

Rest without apologizing for it.

Here's to actually using our time off, not just talking about it.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita