How To Use Labor Day As A Career Reset, Not Just A Day Off

For many, holidays don’t equate to rest days; if you celebrate the holidays, you know that hosting is the polar opposite of resting, from the likes of buying food, drinks, decorations and so forth; then incorporating cooking and engaging with your guests, and once the party is over, you have the daunting task of cleaning. By the time you’ve completed everything, it’s more than likely time to prepare for the work week. Where did the time go? Not resting, that’s for sure.

So, how can you make the most of Labor Day and actually rest? That means resting from your career, and potentially a few barbecues. Her Agenda has gathered a few tips to do just that.

Though it may be tempting with a long holiday weekend, resist the urge to bring home work. It’ll be impossible to rest or reset with a case load of work in your peripheral vision. Save yourself the hassle and opt out. Instead, make home work for you and do a DIY project, start a garden, take a walk, or something we hated as toddlers, but wish we could enjoy more of as adults– take a nap!

According to Life Hack, here are 10 reasons you shouldn’t bring work home:

1. Employees bring spilled-over problems home

2. It increases the risk of depression

3. It interferes with job performance

4. It halts physiological and mental recovery

5. It doesn’t balance work and personal life

6. It doesn’t build your focus

7. It doesn’t build your self-esteem

8. It damages relationships

9. It doesn’t offer us adequate time to eat and sleep well

10. It doesn’t help a better employer-employee relationship

Yes, you have the right to say no; furthermore, yes, family and friendships are important as well, but above all, your mental and physical health comes first. If you’re always busy and on the go, when will you have time for yourself? Saying no sometimes means you value yourself, your health, and your well-being. The people who truly love you will understand.

Wisconsin Public Radio says there’s no easy way to reject an invite; however, Julian Givi, an assistant professor of marketing at West Virginia University, offered some tips in their article on how to respectfully decline an offer.

1. Give a reason instead of just an outright “no.”
2. If you’re invited to an event with an expected cost — like dinner or a show — mention that in your reasoning for not being able to attend. Givi said that people will be more understanding and less likely to pressure you.
3. Respectfully decline, but offer an alternative activity in the future to show them you still care and value that relationship.

The Core states that at home, you can nurture your nervous system with practices that allow a gentle downshift: a long bath, a warm cup of tea in the garden, lighting a candle and settling in with a good book, or engaging in something creative that makes you feel fully present. These intentional pauses permit your nervous system to rest so you can “upshift” when life demands focus and energy. 

If you have to schedule rest, that’s fine. Your brain needs time to decompress and reset; in fact, it’s mandatory. You can’t make sound decisions without rest. Placing your phone on do-not-disturb is another guaranteed way to get uninterrupted sleep.

In today’s day and age, this is unheard of, or is an extreme feat to accomplish for some people; Try going a few hours without social media and technology as a whole. Live as people once did in the 90s and enjoy life without posting it. It still happened I promise, you don’t have to prove it. You may even enjoy your solitude and create future solo dates.

According to Prairie Care, some of the digital detox benefits related to mental health can be life-changing. Oftentimes, seeing others on social media can trigger feelings of FOMO—fear of missing out. Scrolling through other users’ curated images of their lives may make you feel like your life is inadequate and lower your self-esteem. A study of 82 young adults found that life satisfaction levels decreased as time spent on Facebook increased.