Did you know that in Europe vacation time averages 20-28 days off a year plus holidays? How much time off do you take?
During my time in the corporate technology world, most companies offered a standard vacation policy consisting of two weeks of paid vacation time each year plus holidays; employees were entitled to another week after five years of employment. I didn’t use all my vacation time and my work hours often spilled into the weekends.
One of the many things I enjoy about working for myself is the flexibility I have to structure my life the way I want to. My schedule varies but I rarely work past 4:30 and on Wednesdays I finish early. At the end of the day, I need space so that I can reconnect to myself after giving so much to others. I treasure the summer evenings when the light allows me to take longer walks. These walks feel like a colander for my nervous system where the emotions, sensations, and thoughts from the day can seep out through the holes, so I have enough space to start over again the next day.
When I was an intern, my supervisor explained to me that he took six weeks off every year. One week was set aside for an annual group therapy conference and the rest was vacation time; I asked him how his clients reacted to him taking so much time off and he said that he made sure to inform them well in advance and that sometimes those conversations yielded rich clinical material. My beloved aunt, who also studied to be a therapist, warned me not to take too much time off because she was afraid my clients would leave if I did that. Fortunately, she was wrong about this.
In those early days of building my practice I couldn’t afford to travel, so I took some weekend trips and several “staycations” where I discovered new hiking trails close to home. I’d return to work feeling revitalized and I realized how crucial it was for me to take time away from the pressures of my day-to-day responsibilities. Now I schedule my vacation time in advance, and I have a separate savings account dedicated to my travel expenses.
In March I traveled to Utah, and I stayed in a neighborhood just outside of Salt Lake City called “The Avenues” where the houses were built in the early 1900s. The historic architecture, trees and hills felt like a blend of San Francisco and Vermont. Every night around 5:00PM people would gather at a 2-acre park where dogs were allowed to run off-leash. People were responsible with their dogs, and I felt comfortable letting my dog run around and chase his ball. The hiking trails were pristine, and dogs were permitted on alternate days. I had a fantastic time and obviously so did my dog! I am planning to retune next year.
Vacations are only one element of my time off policy. This year I took time off for bereavement leave when my dear aunt died. It was challenging for me to decide how much time off to take and when to take it. In hindsight I wish I had taken more days off during her final weeks, but I thought we’d have more time together. It’s been six weeks now since she died and although I did take some time off, I’ve found I’m very tired and that going to bed early helps.
I just received my jury duty summons, and it was a reminded me of the multitude of other situations where we might need time off and the importance of having some money set aside for those occasions. I hope this post has inspired you to think about your relationship to work and time off. Life is precious and none of us knows how much time we will be here, it’s important to me to enjoy it.