Slowing down the spins can be a really difficult task, but anyone who has decided to do so knows that this is one of the best things in life that he has done. Apart from the due vacation time, the decision to take unpaid leave is conscious. Here is a list of reasons why such a vacation can be an important part of your CV and what you can expect if you choose to do so.
Self-indulgence? By no means
Let go of thinking that unpaid leave is self-indulgence. In fact, noticing that you need time to clear your mind, recharge your batteries, or just learn something new is a key sign of a healthy emotional awareness that any sober boss will be looking for! Just think: why wouldn’t you need a little rest after running around endlessly, why do you think you should work without any break?
Better productivity
Unlike what your busy brain is trying to tell you, taking time off can mean better productivity and morale after you go back to work. Motivation, creativity and flexibility can decline with being “trapped” at work, and time off is the perfect antidote to this inconvenience.
Revise your goals
Perhaps your free time will make you change your approach to professional goals, and that’s okay! It’s only natural that we need to revise our plans from time to time. Free time will make you gain energy to take up a different position in your company, start your own business, learn something new or completely change the direction of your activities.
Be creative
We all have different interests and it’s hard to find time to care for them between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. Unpaid leave is the perfect time to devote it to developing your own projects, ideas and inspiration. The time you spend away from your daily work will allow you to reflect on ideas that were on your mind or filled up the pages of your journal. You never know where they will lead you.
Learn something new
What is better than taking your time off to learn something new so that you can return to your professional life with a new kick? If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new language, dance, cooking, horseback riding, gardening, Photoshop or climbing – unpaid leave is the best time to do so. Bonus: opening your mind (whether it’s for learning or a reasonable amount of rest) also has a positive effect on the development of creativity and flexibility.
Return to …
… yourself, family, friends, nature, interests and dreams. Spend time writing in your journal, thinking, daydreaming, going back to your mentors, having coffee with your friends, cooking something with your family, and taking your time.
Travel
How can free time be without the opportunity to experience something new? It can be combining studying with traveling (learning French in France, anyone?) Or traveling for the pleasure of learning about a new culture, your passport and state of mind will thank you for this break.
Get organized
Many of us look at our home and see a lot of unfinished business: furniture to be repaired, recipes to try, walls to be painted, garden to be arranged, paintings to hang. And after a day at work, you don’t really want to do it all, do you? And there’s nothing better than feeling accomplished after a task well done.
Turn into a bookworm
Or do you have a pile of books next to your bed waiting to be read? Certainly. You can try, but in the working week, there is not enough time to read in peace: slowly get a taste for reading. The same thing happens with recordings that you put off until later, but never found the time. Give yourself an hour after hour of uninterrupted reading or listening with endless cups of coffee or tea.
Charge your body and mind
It turns out that our brain’s productive capacity diminishes as we we demand more from it. Put it shortly, if you give more and more without getting in return, you’ll end up having a burnout. Taking some time off, even for free, will recharge your batteries and result in emotional and physical health. Use this time to get enough sleep, eat well, see friends or just do nothing.
Far from idleness, unpaid leave can be a smart investment in personal or professional development that positively affects quality of life. They will thank you for your creativity, productivity, friends, self-esteem, sense of balance between work and private life.
