Do you need a break from work?
Most people start working after their formal education and plan to work until retirement. Some might take time off for the birth of a child, to care for a loved one, or perhaps due to an illness but how often do people decide to stop working for no direct reason? Not very often and something needs to drive you to this decision. Maybe you got a new boss, and that relationship is not sustainable. Maybe the demands of the job have grown to the point where you can no longer meet them. Maybe the job has taken over your life to the point where there is nothing else. If you are considering this, maybe my story will help.
In 2002, I did just that. The previous year or so had been more stressful than usual. Looking back on it, I had bitten off more than I could chew at work and while I was still doing a good job, I did not feel like I was performing at my best. I traveled a lot which had a physical and mental toll. The finance leader in our organization changed and I was having difficulty adapting to his personality and management style and my immediate manager had left the organization. For the first time in my life, I had a panic attack followed by another. My anxiety was uncontrolled, and I was not sleeping well. So, I decided through discussion with my husband that I needed to resign from my position. It was like stepping off a cliff. I had been super career-focused for 16 years and had no idea what I was going to do. So, what did I do?
I slowed down and narrowed my focus to family and home life. I took time to do the things on the to-do list that I never found time to do. I organized closets, donated unused toys and games, spent time with my husband and kids, and started exercising regularly. I made an appointment with my doctor to get my anxiety under control which included talk therapy.
I knew my break from work was temporary. I still had many things I wanted to accomplish including becoming a chief financial officer. So, I updated my resume and worked through an acceptable answer to the inevitable question about why I had stopped working. I trusted that my strong work history and numerous accomplishments would lead me to my next job.
After about 4 months and having organized all my daughter’s American Girl Doll clothes and shoes, my husband suggested it was time to get back to work (I think I was making him crazy). My old boss reached out and asked me to come on board as a consultant. The work was steady, predictable, and in my wheelhouse. This led to me achieving my goal of becoming a CFO as he asked me to step into an interim role for one of the system’s hospitals. This step was going right back into the fire but I want to underscore that I was better equipped for stress and anxiety than I had been.
Leaving work allowed me to refocus and rest mentally and physically. There was not a negative impact on my career, if anything, I was more successful as a result of the break.
Do you need a break from work? Would you like to talk through how you might do this and what it might look like? Book a free session on my website. I would be honored to help you.