A few months ago, my company made a change to our Paid Time Off (PTO) policy that brought home to me just how much I value this benefit. Under the old policy, I could carry over my unused PTO up to my annual accrual amount of 210 hours plus an additional two weeks or 75 hours. Under the new policy, I can no longer carry over the extra two weeks. I had a couple of months get my PTO balance below my new lower limit, otherwise I would stop accruing additional paid time off. For me, that would be like losing two days of pay a month.
Before the change, my PTO bank would occasionally get close to my maximum so I had to "use it or lose it". Why did I have so much unused time? Well, for over five years, I had been saving up some of my PTO just in case. Just in case I were laid off, just in case I were sick or injured. When I asked an older man in my office, a workaholic really, if he was working on using up his excess PTO (and yes, it is work to figure out when you can fit it in), he said "I don't have that luxury." Well, it taking time off is a luxury, it is a luxury we've earned.
Anyway, I managed to fit in ten days off during a busy two month period and discovered a few things about myself along the way. I learned that if I take time off, even if it is not the most opportune time, everything will be okay. The work was there when I got back to the office, the unanswered emails could wait. I've given up the illusion of being indispensable.
I learned that taking time off puts my job in perspective, a perspective that I really need right now. Taking a step away from what I do for a living shows me that it is not the most important thing in my life even if it is the most significant use of my time. Time off has given me refuge from the chaos. My company has gone through significant changes in the past year, laying off a number of U.S. employees. I don't like the decisions that are being made and I don't like having so much uncertainty about the future. But it is just a job; it is not worth worrying about the things I can't control. It's not my circus, not my monkeys.
Another thing I discovered, rediscovered really, is how much I enjoy being at home just puttering around with no big agenda. I took a couple of my days off with nothing planned but a dental appointment. I finally got a broken light in my kitchen repaired that had been a distraction for a few months. I spent time reading and writing and going on a few hikes. To some people, this will sound boring. It will seem like a waste of time - time that could be spent going somewhere exciting or doing something adventurous or spending money on something. But to me, with so much of my life so structured and scheduled, with so much to do even on weekends, I found it refreshing to just hang out.
This year, I have been reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's daily essays in Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. A lot of her ideas are a bit too touchy-feely for me, but I agree with her overall premise - that your life will be richer if you can find joy in the simple pleasures of your daily life. It is good to have time to yourself. For too long, I have denied myself the simple pleasure of a day off.
Anyway, I managed to fit in ten days off during a busy two month period and discovered a few things about myself along the way. I learned that if I take time off, even if it is not the most opportune time, everything will be okay. The work was there when I got back to the office, the unanswered emails could wait. I've given up the illusion of being indispensable.
I learned that taking time off puts my job in perspective, a perspective that I really need right now. Taking a step away from what I do for a living shows me that it is not the most important thing in my life even if it is the most significant use of my time. Time off has given me refuge from the chaos. My company has gone through significant changes in the past year, laying off a number of U.S. employees. I don't like the decisions that are being made and I don't like having so much uncertainty about the future. But it is just a job; it is not worth worrying about the things I can't control. It's not my circus, not my monkeys.
Another thing I discovered, rediscovered really, is how much I enjoy being at home just puttering around with no big agenda. I took a couple of my days off with nothing planned but a dental appointment. I finally got a broken light in my kitchen repaired that had been a distraction for a few months. I spent time reading and writing and going on a few hikes. To some people, this will sound boring. It will seem like a waste of time - time that could be spent going somewhere exciting or doing something adventurous or spending money on something. But to me, with so much of my life so structured and scheduled, with so much to do even on weekends, I found it refreshing to just hang out.
This year, I have been reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's daily essays in Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. A lot of her ideas are a bit too touchy-feely for me, but I agree with her overall premise - that your life will be richer if you can find joy in the simple pleasures of your daily life. It is good to have time to yourself. For too long, I have denied myself the simple pleasure of a day off.
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