In this busy world, it’s incredibly easy to drop into autopilot survival mode in order to simply get through a work day. While most people simply don’t have the PTO to take a 3-month hiatus, here are some tips on how to "take a hiatus" while still hitting your 9-5.
Touch Some Grass
While you may be sick of hearing it, it’s true that a great way to take a hiatus is by reconnecting with nature. Now, it’s understandable that not everyone is a hiking guru, but that’s okay as you don’t have to be. Simply going on a walk around your block after work is a great way to reconnect with your natural side. Some other ways are to have a quick gas station picnic, eat your lunch for the day outside, do outdoor yoga, or take your book of choice and read near a bench.
If you want to be on hiatus and be outside while doing it, another great tip is to bring a solo picnic blanket and do outside time after work everyday. If you finish work at 5, push other events till after 6:30. Take your personal blanket to your nearest park, find a nice tree for some shade, and place that blanket down. Pull out a book, play some music, or even scroll on your phone for that hour-and-thirty. It doesn’t have to be super productive or self-actualizing, as long as you feel at peace. The name of the game is decompression and less stress — whatever you have to do to get there is no one else’s business.
For those with families or pets, you can even invite them out with you. However, it’s also okay to say you’ll be home a little later in the day or that work ran late.
Gain a YouTube Skill
One of the greatest inventions of the modern day is the free YouTube course. There is a plethora of fun videos are at your disposal. If you’re the type that has to be home right after the work bell tolls, pulling up a nice YouTube video on your television screen is still a great way to get some hiatus time in. For those with little ones, this is a key hiatus hack to take note of, as your child may find your deep yoga or painting video fascinating — there’s also no harm in asking them to join you or pawning them off onto your partner or another activity. From underwater basket weaving videos to learning how pencils get made, the possibilities for new knowledge are endless. Plus, it’s always nice to share a new fun fact with friends or co-workers.
Explore The Mundane
Taking a hiatus doesn’t always have to be a grand project. Most of the time, a hiatus is simply an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, slow things down, and step out of survival mode. Listening to music from another time, taking time to straighten your spine, drinking water, and going to that coffee shop you really like for the fourth time in a week are all hiatus opportunities ripe for the taking.
Changing the curtains in your bathroom to a new color or wearing that special occasion outfit to watch a movie on your couch are also amazing ways to connect to your body. You are already a person with a life outside of your work or other personal responsibilities — taking a hiatus is your chance to explore those facets in a deeper manner.
Splurge on Self-Care
It’s true, spending money can sometimes make you happy! When it comes to taking a break from the busy-busy, it’s okay to write some expenses off as personal care. The best way to splurge without fear of breaking your bank is to simply plan ahead. As Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle eloquently put in "Parks and Recreation", you have to "treat yo'self!"
Choose any day or days, and set aside some money to properly treat yourself. When those days finally arrive, do whatever you want. If you want a massage, get one. If there’s a top you’ve been dying to buy, that day is your reason to say yes. Don’t overthink it; simply do as you please. Even if your truest desire is to buy those cupcakes from that expensive bakery, on your Treat Yourself Day, all things are ripe for the taking.
Do The Bare Minimum
Sometimes, the best hiatuses are the ones in which you don’t really do much. It’s totally understandable to come home after a long day and watch your favorite show for the 15th time. If dancing around your room, taking selfies, and reading facts off a weird Wikipedia page are your go-tos, then there’s nothing stopping you. Taking a hiatus is all about you, and you know yourself best. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to reframe your mind. It’s not just your everyday after work routine, it’s a purposeful hiatus — a journey back to a renewed self.
