How I know its Time for a Break

This week I received an email that felt like a personal attack (it wasn’t).

I interpreted as someone being rude and “too direct”. It felt rude. I immediately felt defensive. Of course I couldn’t reply right away.

A signal went off in my brain and I had a bit of a lightbulb moment.

OH!

This is when I need to take some time off. Not just step away from my desk for a few minutes, a walk around the block, or a yoga class, which are typically ways I reset.

Nope.

This is a sign that I need a few days off consecutively.

I’m guilty of checking email every day, especially since January when I took over running The Floyd Wickman Team and was also preparing for maternity leave. I know better.

It’s hard to step away when I feel so much responsibility to manage a company and my own business. But it’s so necessary, especially when I react the way I did to simple emails.

I manage several customer facing email accounts for my clients and it’s important that I handle every inquiry - even the rude ones - with kindness and candor.

Next week I will take a 4 day weekend and spend some time with my husband away from the kids and away from the business. We are traveling down to Albuquerque for a concert and belated 4th wedding anniversary celebration. Our actual anniversary is in April but this year we had a baby so it needed to be postponed :)

This was an intention we set before we got married that even in the throes of young children and pregnancy that we would spend at least 1 night away each year to celebrate our wedding. Our family and children thrive when our marriage does. I’m looking forward to it and to taking a proper break 🤍

How often do you take time off?

PS. Comment here if I should share a screenshot of the email… see if you agree with me or if I am just being emotional… ha!