Own Your Work

How To Master the Art of the Unplug

• Sonja Holmes

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Unplugging: More Than Just a Day Off

Sure, we've all been there—those PTO days when you promise yourself a break, only to find yourself checking emails or brainstorming work ideas. Been there, done that. But what if unplugging could be more than just an event?

In this episode, I lay it all out—why unplugging is a crucial part of self-care, and how it's become a daily practice for me. Spoiler alert: it's not about being a superhero for everyone else; it's about recharging and being the best version of ME.

The Unplugging Game Plan: A Sneak Peek

  1. Start Time and Quit Time: Ever feel like your workday is a never-ending story? I've got some tricks to change that narrative.
  2. Prioritize Your Day: Discover how I ensure my three big priorities take center stage, and how you can do the same.
  3. Thinking Time: Yep, we're scheduling time to think. Trust me, it's a game-changer.
  4. Build Breaks Into Your Day: Daily lunch breaks aren't just a luxury—they're a necessity. I spill on how to make them your secret sauce.
  5. Turn Off Notifications: It's time to break free from the notification shackles and take back control of your time.

Ready for the Deep Dive?

If you're as intrigued as I am, hit play [here] to soak up all the unplugging wisdom. Trust me; it's worth the listen.

Oh, and to make sure you're equipped to conquer your unplugging journey, grab your free daily planner at sonjaholmes.com/daily. Consider it your roadmap to a more intentional and balanced routine.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts and insights on this one! Let's toast to unplugging and truly owning our work (without it owning us).

Cheers to unplugging and owning our work (without it owning us),

Sonja Holmes

https://www.sonjaholmes.com

Speaker 1:

Hey friends, it's Sonia Holmes here and you're listening to the Own your Work podcast, where I bring you some inspiration and some actionable steps to help you create your best work life. Yet Now, friends, in our last episode we talked a lot about self-care, like I feel, like I shared, you know from my heart a little bit of my journey, because for me it's been a journey Y'all I've shared with you. Before I'm a mom, before I work full time, you know, I got my side projects and things like that, and for a long time I used to use self-care as a way, or I looked at self-care as a way, of being more productive and I felt like if I took time and took better care of myself, that I would, you know, have more stamina or I can be better, I can be more productive. When I learned that self-care is for me, it's not for anyone else, all of those things are just byproducts but it's not the goal. So, anyways, I'm not going to get into that all again. You can listen to the episode if you want to. Really, you know, dig in a little bit more there, but I want to in this episode. I feel like this is still part of that same conversation with self-care, and I want to talk about one of the tools that you have, one of the things that I think that you should build as a habit to really up the ante on your self-care, and that is mastering the art of the unplug. Okay, all right.

Speaker 1:

So you've probably heard about unplugging before, right, and so when I hear about unplugging, and a lot of times when I've practiced it myself, I used to look at it like an event. Right, I'm going to take off, I'm going to use my PTO and then I'm going to unplug, you know as much as I can, and so oftentimes when I hear you know others as well too, when they're unplugging, it's an event. We treat it like an event. But I learned that unplugging is something that you can do. You can use it as a weapon if you cultivate it as a daily habit. So I'm going to share with you some things that I do to really try to cultivate unplugging as a daily habit. So that way it's a daily practice for me versus a one-off event. And again, unplugging is kind of like the things I share with self-care. It's for me Like I've learned that unplugging is simply for me and I get to choose how I want to do that. It's me recharging, not so I can be better for anyone else, but it's recharging so that I can be my best self, just for me, because I deserve that, and so do you. So I want to talk to you about a couple of tips, a couple of things that I've learned, a couple of things that I do to cultivate unplugging as a daily habit. Now, before I get into that, I want to share why I also think this is so important, especially in a time like now.

Speaker 1:

Friends, a lot of us, we do thought-based work, meaning we're using our brains at work, meaning our job requires a lot of thought process, a lot of decision-making, and what this means is that a lot of times, even when you shut down your computer, right, you are still thinking about work. And I feel like it's even more so because we are living in a time where there's a lot of models that are hybrid models, where you're working in office a few days and then you're working from home, and then there's the whole remote model as well, too, where you're just strictly working from home. So unplugging becomes even more just challenging and the lines can blur a little bit. There's no begin, there's no ending right. It's just all blurs and it's all one thing jumbled up in one, and that's why we treat it like an event, because we think you know what I'm just going to press through this month, and then I have the week of Thanksgiving off or something you know like. We do that and we treat it like an event.

Speaker 1:

But I want to just share again some tips that's helped me and some things that I'm learning to cultivate on plugging as a daily habit. So the very first thing that I'm going to share with you is having a start time and end time, and I believe I shared this in that episode when I talked about work, life, presence and, for me, having a start time and an end time. It does something for me, but it helps me to start thinking in a way where I'm now working backwards from the time that I say that my quit time is going to be Meaning if my quit time, or if my start time is X and my quit time is, you know, 530 or whatever that the case may be that now I'm thinking how, what am I going to get done right? How am I going to get these things done? So that way, at the end of the day when I walk away, I feel good about what I accomplished, right? We like to feel good about those things too. And when you do feel good about what you accomplished, it's easier to unplug, at least for me. Not saying that you need that in order to do it, but let's be real when you know that you've accomplished a lot, or when you feel good about what you've accomplished, it makes it that much easier for you to unplug, right? So for me, having a start time and a quit time, that would be my first tip Knowing what time that you're starting your work and what time that you are going to end your day. Call it your quit time because, no matter what, there's always going to be one more thing to do. That list it can just build up and build up. There's one more call to May, but when you establish a quit time, you're saying that I'm going to get the most important things done by this time and then, at this time, I'm walking away, and that's why we call it your quit time, because you're walking away, no matter what. You are quitting at that time, all right.

Speaker 1:

So the second part and I feel like I touched on it a little bit in the first point, but it is actually prioritizing your day. So if you know what time your quit time is, you actually prioritize. You know I like to do my three big stones, like what are the big three priorities that I want to accomplish within my day, and then schedule those first. You know you probably heard that metaphor of putting the big stones in first right, but that's what it is. You know what are your three big stones, what do you want to get accomplished? And then scheduling everything else around those. You probably heard the same. I didn't come up with it, but you know I've heard it before and I love it because it's so true what ain't scheduled ain't happening. So you want to make sure that you put those big stones, or those three big priorities, into your calendar.

Speaker 1:

Now I actually have a daily planner. You can grab it at Sonyahomescom for it slash daily. This template that I have. It actually does have like something where you can put your start time and your quit time and that you can actually schedule out, make a schedule of what your, your tasks are for the day. So you can do this along with you know, using your calendar that you have. You know in your outlook or Gmail or whatever it is, but making sure one that you have your start time and your quit time, and then you have your big priorities, those things that you you must do, or those things that you want to accomplish, and that you will feel good about your day if you were to end the day and had those three things done. So those would be my first.

Speaker 1:

You know big tips when it comes to being able to unplug. When I do this, it makes it easier for me to unplug because I feel good about what I've accomplished that day. Now, again, this is all I feel like a lot of the things that I'm sharing today is going to be along the lines of planning. So another reason why and I like to think about, okay, why don't I unplug right? And so a lot of times not only for myself, but when I've learned from others as well, too a lot of times, what stops us from unplugging is because we use our brain at work a lot and it's hard to just shut that off.

Speaker 1:

So if you're working on projects or if you have things that you're working on, even after you shut down your computer, you're still thinking about how to get ahead on that project or coming up with ideas. You know creative, trying to brainstorm. You know putting the kids to bed. Coming up with ideas, doing your dishes, thinking about it right, because it's hard to turn it off, it's hard to really shut down and actually unplug, but that's a skill and it's something I feel like you just have to work at. It takes time, but you have to work at it.

Speaker 1:

So my next big tip is to part of your day, make sure or part of your week or your planning or whatever that if you're working on something major, that you are actually putting into your calendar, building into your day time to think Right. I know that sounds silly, but really, if you are putting in your time whether it's in your calendar, whether it's time, whether it's time to brainstorm on a project, instead of just trying to put working on the project into your calendar, you actually put time to brainstorm. This is the time that you are going to dedicate to thinking, coming up with creative ideas or even putting into your calendar maybe it's monthly or weekly or whatever a time for you to look at your systems and your processes, a time to, you know, think of ways to improve. Because what happens when you don't build that into your day. At night you're thinking about it, or on the weekends you're thinking about it, and it makes it hard for you to really unplug and be present to the moment, be present to your family, be present to the me time or the you time, right. So I've learned to build those things into my day, whether it be brainstorming, whether it be time to look back at my processes right For analytics, whether it be times to think about how I can improve, whether it be just thinking time or creative time, giving myself that space and building it into my calendar, whether it be weekly or monthly, but really finding that time.

Speaker 1:

So that way, I'm putting that time into my work day, I'm putting that time into my calendar so that I don't have to be thinking about it on my weekends or on my me time, right, and I want that same thing for you as well too, okay. So again, it's about planning. But I think the more that you can plan, the more that I'm plugging can become a part of your daily habit. Where it doesn't have to, you don't have to just wait to PTO, okay. So the next thing again, we're still talking about building into your calendar. But treating it like a daily habit means building in the breaks that you actually need as well too. So for me, I actually have a reoccurring event every day at the same time that I'm going to take my lunch, you know, again with the three big stones. So that is something that's already built into my calendar.

Speaker 1:

So that way, that time is blocked and I know that, no matter how chaotic or how many meetings end up coming to my day, that I know that I have that space in the middle of the day where I've been intentional about blocking time for my daily you know break for me, for my lunch, for you know. However, I want to use that time and I use that time to unplug and, I think, just recharge. When you unplug, sometimes you have to plug in to whatever that source that gives you power, you know. So it could be prayer, you know, it could be just going inward and thinking, but making sure that you're building that time into your daily calendar, your daily schedule, versus, you know, waiting to find the time or seeing when you can make it happen, instead of trying to get it in where you can fit it in. Put it into your calendar and build things around that. So that's been important for me and let me tell you that's been a game changer for me, because before I didn't, I used to put my schedule, my lunches around you know what Else I had going on, but now, like, that is in there every day and I know that I have a reoccurring event every day that I am scheduled to make sure that I'm taking some time for myself throughout my day. So, building your breaks right, make sure that you do it ahead of time, so something that you don't have to think about daily, like Stop trying to make these decisions daily and over and over. Just do it one time, set a reoccurring event and block that time, protect it All right.

Speaker 1:

So here's another thing when it comes to mastering the art of Unplugging y'all. This was hard for me, but I had to learn how to turn my notifications off, or at least stop checking your emails after a certain time. When you say it's your quit time, like unplug, you know, turn your notifications off and Learn how to Understand that Things can wait. It is okay, you know, and I have to practice and anytime that I catch myself like wanting to go in and check, now I do give myself some time, like I give myself some grace right, and there are those times where you know it is easy for me to just get in and answer it now. But what I try to do as a daily habit and this is become my rule versus the exception is that you know I do unplug and you know Emails down and you know so that way, when I'm home, I can just be present as much as possible.

Speaker 1:

So you know, turn off your notifications and then stop being so accessible all the time. Now I know this might feel like counterintuitive Intuitive, if you know you like I want to make sure that everyone knows that they're taking care of you, can take care of you, can still, you know, give your best and provide exceptional customer service without being accessible 24-7, all right, so you don't have to be accessible on your PT. Oh, like, be intentional about getting what you need to be done, what needs to be done, you know, during your working hours and then giving yourself that space to actually have your u-time and stop being as accessible. So that probably sounds harsh, but y'all, like it is something that I've had to practice and like basically stop Wanting to answer everything as it comes up and this allows me to have that focus time and even throughout my day. You know I have time where I'm blocked to respond, you know, to certain responses at a certain time and just different things. So just trying to be more intentional about my day. But when I do these things right, when I stick to my start time in my end time, when I do plan Right and when I make sure that I'm protecting, you know, that daily time that I have to unplug, it really does, I feel like, provides a better space for me mentally. It helps me and it really helps me to focus on what I need to get done throughout the day and then be able to unplug and feel good about Unplugging as well too, not saying that I deserved it, but to just feel good that I can walk away Feeling like you know what.

Speaker 1:

I gave it my best, I accomplished what I needed to and now I get to unplug, not so I can be better, but just because that's what I deserve right. It's my birthright right To unplug and to just recharge, whatever that looks like for me, whatever that looks like for you. So I wanna encourage you, friends. I feel like there's a lot more and I would love to hear from you and I would love to know what things you do to unplug right and if you're doing things on a daily to really have and protect your you time. I would love to learn about those things as well too. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are just some things I've learned along the way that I've put into practice. That really helps me to just be in a better space and to help me feel better about unplugging. So hope that you found it helpful.

Speaker 1:

Friends, now make sure that you go to sonyahomescom for it slash daily, so that way you can get that free daily planner. I love like the practice of having a start time in an end time or a quit time, and that is built in that daily planner. There's also a space for you to celebrate. What you'll notice is this is the DC DC method right, you're deciding what you're gonna be doing, right, those priorities. You are calendaring it right, committing to a schedule, and then also you're gonna do it, you're gonna execute it, and then the final C is celebrating, which is a part of that daily planner as well too. So that's the DC DC method that I used throughout the week, but you also do this on a day to day basis as well too. So hope you found this helpful.

Speaker 1:

I hope that you go on your journey, whatever that looks like, and learn how to unplug daily. It doesn't have to be a one-off event. You don't have to wait into your PTO. Set your boundaries now. Have a start time and end time. Do whatever you need to do to unplug, to recharge for you, because you are worth that. Okay, all right, friends, make sure you get the planner sonyhomescom forward. Slash daily. And you know what I'm gonna say. You know how I like to wrap this up Until next time, friends, remember there is so much more to you than the work that you do. Own your work, don't let work own you. Okay, boo, all right, friends, until next time, bye.