The Beauty of Pressing Pause

When was the last time you pressed pause? Not escaping or distracting yourself – but truly pausing?

A 2024 report by Sorbet revealed some interesting statistics:

• In 2023, 62% of Americans did not use all of their Paid Time Off (PTO).
• 5% of employees did not take ANY days off last year.
• Americans are being allotted more PTO, but utilizing less of it.
• On average, employees leave 33% of their PTO unused.
• Women are 27% more comfortable than men taking sick days but are 19% less comfortable taking a vacation.
• The younger you are, the less likely you are to take your PTO.

What’s the Impact on Employers?

PTO represents one of the most expensive, underutilized. and underappreciated employee benefits, with the lowest return on investment. There is no real motivation to provide PTO and yet there are some solid reasons to step away from work, enjoy a change of scenery, and rest! In fact, urging their employees to take the time off would be beneficial because it…

• Reduces stress and burnout
• Sparks happiness and enhances relationships
• Allows you to reset mentally
• Invites you reconnect with yourself
• Reminds you why you need to stop taking work home
• Gives you space to dream and/or problem solve
• Benefits your health and well-being
• Leads to greater productivity upon your return
• Reveals there is more to life than work

It’s Time To Pause and Take A Vacation

Many behave like they are human doings rather than human beings. Does that describe you?

You need breaks from the frantic hustle of life and work. Here are some signs that it is high time:

• Getting sick. Your body says no more and forces you to rest.
• The quality of your work stinks and it takes twice as long to produce.
• Your creativity wanes and along with it your engagement, productivity, etc.
• You are always working and you feel checked out.
• You slip into a cynical mindset – you are more negative and/or critical.
• Everything feels draining, including making decisions.
• Inspiration – what’s that?
• You don’t know how to rest or relax.
• Letting your mind wander or taking time to reflect rarely happens.
• You are making more mistakes than normal.
• Sleeping well is becoming increasingly difficult.

We know that pausing and getting away is a good thing – even a fun thing, but what is it that keeps you from actually following through?

1. Perpetually Feeling Overwhelmed

Making plans to pause or get away feels big when you are drowning in work. Perhaps work is under control but life in general has you navigating some very emotionally draining situations or your schedule has zero wiggle room leaving you feeling overwhelmed. The thought of sorting out all the details for a trip feels like the last straw.

There are some baby steps you might want to begin taking right now to help position yourself to take advantage of those vacations you so need!

If work is the source of your feelings of overwhelm, where might you take proactive steps to reduce your work load? What might you delegate? What boundaries do you need to have in place to keep work confined to specific hours?

When life in general feels overwhelming, it’s time to take an honest look at all you are investing your time in and consider whether or not you are being realistic in this season. What might you eliminate to add margin? How might others step in and take on more responsibility? What responsibilities might your kids be able to handle? It’s advantageous for kids to have responsibilities – a valuable life lesson!

Step back from your life and imagine what is possible. In other words, don’t just cave in and allow life to pile up around you, instead, get proactive about creating the life you long for. Hopefully that includes plenty of time to pause and some memorable vacations.

2. It Feels Too Hard

Traveling with young kids or teenagers is not for the faint of heart. Yet those happy adventures provide wonderful opportunities family bonding!

If the thought of getting away with your family makes you cringe, then it’s time to make some changes in how you manage your family. It’s time to set clearer expectations and even more important that you consistently follow up and provide feedback.

With older kids, include them in the process! Let them do some of the research and take some of the load off your shoulders. Give them a budget to work within. This is a fantastic way for them learn some much needed life skills!

In a blink of an eye your kids will be saying good bye. Don’t waste the precious opportunities along the way.

Perhaps your single and finding that right person to travel with or that right tour to take seems too hard. Ask around. Get suggestions – do something!

3. Joy – What’s That?

Joy needs space to blossom and need time to explore what it is that truly delights you.

When you’ve been running yourself ragged for an extended period of time it’s no wonder that you draw a blank on what brings you joy!

Pressing pause or taking a vacation sounds like a massive leap!

Instead, start small. Carve out 15 minutes – a wee amount of time to begin exploring what makes your heart happy. What were some of the activities you enjoyed doing a kid? Spends some time experimenting and trying some new experiences.

Gradually up the time to 30 minutes, then an hour. The time you invest in what delights you will spark your imagination and inspire you when it comes to pausing and intentionally getting away.

It won’t happen overnight, but this process increases the odds of that happy trip happening!

4. Fear

There are two snags that are sure to keep you stuck! Unresolved trauma and fear. We won’t delve into trauma here, but I’ve talked about it in this post.

Fear comes in a variety of flavors!

Are your fears financial fears? Maybe you lived through a financial rocky season as a kid and have vowed that would never happen to you. That’s a hard feeling to shake. Vacations do cost money which is disconcerting and they take you out of the work environment which may also trigger your financial fears. What if you fall behind? What if work stacks up while you are gone? Maybe you are afraid of being let go or that you might fail if you step away.

It’s no wonder you don’t get away! And odds are good that your vacation void is taking a toll on you!

What if you were disciplined and began to save for a vacation. Cut back and live more disciplined day to day in order to enjoy some much-needed time away?

Maybe you feel unsure about traveling – it’s not something you have much experiences with. Have a fear of flying? Or the unknown doesn’t excite you?

Begin taking day trips closer to home and begin explore. Baby steps!

Is your Fear Monster keeping you from getting away? Lean into who God created you to be.

Whatever your fear is, it’s possible to overcome it!

5. Disconnected

This is a tough one to admit, but honestly the main reason you are avoiding pressing pause and getting away is that you are disconnected from your people. If that’s how you feel, then it is time to begin little by little investing more in your closest relationships. That may mean reordering a few other aspects of your life. What would it look like to get intentional about investing in the treasured people in your life?

Pressing pause doesn’t have to be an expensive getaway. Learn the tricks to traveling in more affordable ways. And take time regularly to pause and reflect. It makes all the difference in how you do life, work, relationships, and more!

6. Being Self-Employed

Because my husband and I are both self-employed, I understand the strain it is to get away when your work depends so much on you. Not only do you not enjoy the luxury of PTO, but in many ways, you need the break more than anyone!

I’m very motivated to get away – that’s when my best ideas show up and I look forward to returning to implement them. In fact, the concept for The LAB was birthed on a trip to Mexico.

While I agree, it is a bit trickier to pull off vacations when you are a business owner or solopreneur, but it is very necessary if you want to avoid burnout. I encourage you to find a strategy that allows you to enjoy regular breaks and time away. The bonus: it forces you to operate in a more sustainable way year-round!

Here’s what helps me:

• • • Taking advantage of hotel and airline points as well as setting money aside for travel.
    • Putting trips on the calendar which allows me to schedule around them as appointments are a big part of my work. It also allows me to work ahead on social media, blogs, etc.
    • Taking a few minutes every morning and evening to reply to emails while away. This keeps things moving along smoothly.
    • Keeping the first day back from vacation free of appointments so that I’m able to ease back into work life.

What’s keeping you from pressing pausing and getting away?

© Can Stock Photo / cobalt88

Originally posted on 6/17/17, this post has been updated and revised just for you!