Why it is important to take a break

Many public servants in Canberra are lucky enough to get Christmas Shutdown, time off between Christmas and new year. Some have taken some extra time to extend their time out of the office. Others are already planning what they will take home to work on, or when they will pop into the office to clear out their emails.

Now is a great time to remember why it is important to take time out and switch off. Whether you take a vacation, a staycation, or a playcation, it’s important to take a break from the job, the everyday routine, and the demands of your work life in order to keep stress levels in check and your resilience high. To be your best self in the office sometimes you need not to be there.

Studies have shown that breaks increase productivity and creativity. Working for long stretches without time out of the office leads to stress and exhaustion. Taking breaks refreshes the mind, replenishes your mental resources, and helps you become more creative.

I have always been a big believer in work hard, so you can play hard, well in my case travel. I would work long hours, in a stressful job but I always had an overseas holiday booked in. It was the thing that I could look forward to. As soon as I got on that plane, I switched off and left it all behind. Now I can appreciate having a staycation as well where you can get all of those life jobs done that you don’t get to during the year.

Now is a great time to think about what time you will take off in 2019. Is there a trip you have been wanting to take? Need to have some time off during school holidays? Now is the time to book it in and have something to look forward to when you get back from this short break.

So this is me signing out for the year. Thank you to everyone that has supported my during my first year in business. I appreciate all of the support and confidence you have had in me. I’m taking my own advice and having a staycation until 15 January – see you then