42. Stop Waiting for a Vacation: Why Scheduling Rest is Crucial for Well-Being

Feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or stuck in constant go-mode? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, we’re diving into the when, why, and how of taking time off—with a personalized twist.

Jenny shares:

• Why rest needs to be intentional—not just an afterthought
• The difference between a “day off” and a “day to catch up”
• How a countdown calendar can boost your mood and motivation
• The trial she’s using to schedule real rest every 3 weeks
• Tips to recognize when you're overdue for downtime

🎯 Takeaways / Action Steps:

• ✍️ Try scheduling something you're excited about (vacation or simple joy)
• 📅 Review your next month—block out a true off day
• 🧠 Check in with your mental load: are you coping, or just surviving?
• 🆓 Book a free discovery call at https://www.jennylytle.com/work-with-jenny

This isn’t just about a break—it’s about preventing burnout and protecting your peace.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com 

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life!  https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com 

Connect on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Transcript

Welcome to Nurses' Break Room

Speaker 1 0:29

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Nurses' Break Room with Jenny Lettle RN. I had a recent conversation with a prospective client about taking time off and how often that should be done. Now I believe that, like all things self-care and stress relief it's something that needs to be individualized to each person, but I also have a few overarching tips. Have things scheduled that you look forward to Now. It might be a vacation or a lunch with a friend or the end of a big project or commitment, and sometimes being able to count down to a trip or the end of a class can give a little hit of dopamine whenever you look at it. I use a free countdown timer to keep track of my big things to look forward to and it always gives me a little boost. But I've also noticed as I work my regular nursing jobs and I'm active in the community and working with my coaching clients and also our mental matters clients that we have through our church ministry also our mental matters clients that we have through our church ministry that it's easy for every day to have something often multiple things scheduled and there aren't many days off like really completely off, and when I do have a day off from all those other obligations. That's when I really like to have focused creative time. But I can tell when I'm starting to feel the tension creep back up, when I realize that for my mental health which of course impacts my overall health and affects my productivity and effectiveness that I need to schedule a day off for myself. And I've decided to trial doing a day off once every three weeks to see how that feels, and I've realized that that's not something that's just going to happen without me really intentionally looking at my calendar and blocking out some of that time in advance, because it's easy for things to just creep into there.

Closing Thoughts & Resources

Speaker 1 2:35

Now, for me this time off may even be on a weekend, because I know that, like a lot of you, busyness doesn't just happen Monday through Friday, it's often seven days a week. So looking at when I have a day to relax and renew my spirit not catch up on laundry or housework is even more important during the busy seasons. Not catch up on laundry or housework is even more important during the busy seasons. And it's going to take some time and effort to intentionally plan days that don't have anything scheduled. But I believe that it's possible and it's worth it and the overall idea of this, like with everything I teach and share, is to take time to check in with yourself regularly so that when things start to get out of whack, you can course correct quickly in a way that fits into your unique makeup and season of life. So you can develop a plan, trial it and then adjust as needed. And if you'd like to talk that through with me no cost or obligation at all jump on a free discovery call and you can go to my website, wwwjennyliddlecom.

Speaker 1 3:38

Slash work hyphen with hyphen Jenny. Until next time. Remember, self-care isn't selfish. It's essential if we want to continue to care for others and live our best lives. Have a great week.