Ah, summer. If you are like most working women, you spent part of this season not working. Often the highlight of summer, vacation gives us a break from impending deadlines, urgent e-mails, and sluggish meetings. We flip off the work switch, go away, come back, and flip it back on. But there’s a better way: incorporating some vacation into our daily lives.
VaVA 2008 McKinsey study of defining traits for successful women leaders resulted in a leadership model of “physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual strength that drives personal achievement and, in turn, inspires others to follow.” One component of this centered leadership approach stresses the importance of “knowing where your energy comes from, where it goes, and what you can do to manage it.” In other words, maintaining energy helps make women effective leaders.
McKinsey asserts that “work-life balance is a myth—so the only hope women have is to balance their energy flows.” When we feel depleted, we must take action to manage our activities “to avoid dipping into reserves.” This requires more than a week or two away from the office. To stay energized year-round, we need regular breaks that, rather than diverting us from work, help us do our jobs well.
How can you integrate regular mini vacations into your work-life? A lunch-time walk? An afternoon spent working remotely? A coffee and book break? Such impromptu “getaways” can be timed according to other demands, making them easier to accommodate and more likely to relieve—rather than add—to our stress.
Think of the things you do to make vacation enjoyable and treat yourself to an energy break. Remember: our ability to let go and take care of ourselves is one of the traits that make women such great leaders.
