OOO - Me Day
We are over halfway through Q1 - have you taken a vacation day yet?
If not, let this be your reminder - permission slip if you need one - to take one day off for you in the next 6 weeks.
By March 31, I hope that you can unplug at least once for yourself.
Because I’ll never share a tip or idea with you that I don’t try out myself, I’ve taken 3 days off this quarter - I’ll share more below.
But here’s what I want to know first before I give you my tips to plan your own OOO - me day.
When you accepted your job, did the number of vacation days factor into your acceptance?
Have you ever turned down a job because it offered too little vacation time?
Were you bummed by the lack of paid time off?
And if you're self-employed, do you consider vacation time in your annual planning?
Paid vacation is part of your benefits package. Period.
It’s just like compensation. Which means when you choose not to use it - and it doesn’t roll over - you’ve literally left your own money on the table.
And not taking a break leads to burnout.
“But, Michelle, I can’t take the vacation time. Work never slows down enough for me to take it.”
“I’m the only one who can sign X documents - if I’m out, Y system stops.”
“When I return from vacation, there will be so much for me to do, I might as well not go.”
There’s so much to unpack here. Unfortunately, company culture plays a big role and the fears around layoffs in tech, media and advertising don’t appear to be slowing down yet.
But if I’ve learned anything in my personal journey through burnout, waiting for the other shoe to drop before I take care of myself is always a zero sum game.
If you find it impossible to use your vacation, it’s time to look deeper.
Is this a culture issue in your workplace?
Is your team under-resourced?
I’ve been there, especially when I worked for much smaller companies where I wore a lot of hats. I was younger then and seemed to be able to work monumentally more hours. The bad news is those monumental hours finally caught up with me in a few severe cases of burnout.
This is when I turn my perspective to building a burnout preparedness toolkit and doing the smallest thing possible.
If I collapse (figuratively or literally) from working too much, who will step in to sign the time cards?
There’s no telling how long I could be down for the count in this case.
How much better for me and my work if I plan an OOO - me day to recharge my own battery.
Even if a long getaway isn’t in the cards, taking a OOO - me day at least once a quarter does wonders.
And FYI - a sick day with (or without) your kid(s) doesn’t count as a OOO - me day.
Here’s how I approach my OOO - me day.
No work. Totally sign off in the same way you’d sign off if you’re on an airplane or getting a root canal. Gross, I know, and hopefully you truly sign off for those activities. (If you don’t, we’ve got some work to do!)
No major to do list. This is not the day to fix the leaky faucet or check off a million to do’s. I promise, you wouldn’t be able to do more than 3 in your 8 hour day anyway, so don’t bother. This is called a “me day,” not a “to-do day.”
No set agenda. Slightly different than “no major to do list,” this means I’m not tied to a clock. Or if I am (like arriving on time to a retreat a few weeks ago) I immediately relinquish my timekeeping responsibilities to fully participate in the activities laid out for me. Not being locked to the clock is part of the unwinding goal.
Name that feeling. Naming how you want to feel at the end of the day is so powerful. Do I want to feel energized, relaxed, rested, creatively charged at the end of the day? One day last year, I wanted to feel rested. So I slept all day. It was awesome.
Make it a weekday that’s not otherwise a bank or religious holiday. I’ll assume you’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (If not, I know what you’re doing on your next OOO - me day.) There’s something so clandestine and energizing about stealing away for a day when the rest of your world is toiling. Consider an activity that can be best experienced on a weekday. Empty art museum. Wine tasting that’s usually oversold on a weekend.
Do a little bit of prep in advance. Just like you’d pack for a trip before getting on the plane to paradise, give some thoughtful prep to food the day before. If your gas tank is running low, fill it the day before if you’re planning a OOO - me day jaunt.
Leave the inbox until tomorrow. If you’ve followed the rule above and didn’t check email, slack or zoom all day, don’t ruin your vibe by checking in at the end of an 8-hour OOO - me day. Remember the feeling you wanted at the end of the day. Try to keep that as long as possible.
Here’s my challenge: Pull up an annual calendar for 2023. Pick at least 4 days - 1 each quarter - for an OOO - me day. Bonus points if you schedule one monthly!
What boundaries are you going to put around your OOO-me-day?
The personal stuff:
For my 3 OOO - me days this quarter, I planned them around events. I set an intention each time and truly felt recharged by the experience.
1
First, my adventurous husband and I took 4 little girls to an arcade to celebrate a very special birthday - which happened to fall on a no-school day. (Fun fact - I love arcades and am a ringer in Skeeball.)
2
I took another day to chaperone the 2nd grade class trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. Although a dark, chaotic, fishy place with a 2 hour round trip bus ride may not be your idea of a day “off,” for me, it was awesome. Seeing the curiosity bubbling over these kids as they explored sea creatures, touched jellyfish and ambled through a rainforest fueled my own curiosity. Getting to know some of the people my daughter spends more time with a week than me is something that brings us closer.
3
Lastly, I took a real day just for me - one I booked late last year when my schedule looked completely clear (it always does for future me - can you relate?).
Attending an in-person retreat hosted by Randi Braun and attended by 15 powerful, amazing women was the perfect OOO me-day. We worked on the hard stuff of goal planning with the delightful ambiance of the Georgetown Ritz, nourished by hot chocolate, wine and yoga. What wasn’t there to love - to truly realign and recharge, as the name the retreat encapsulated.
I hope this sparks you to book your next OOO - me day.
Reach out - I’d love to hear how you spend it.