Occasional Loafing Might Just be Good for You
This past Saturday I found myself in a situation wherein plenty of things could be done but nothing absolutely had to be done that day. It was warmer than it has been but dreary. Both dogs were extra snuggly…and by midday I realized that I had stayed in my pajamas far past the normal time. I briefly thought of getting up and GETTING THINGS DONE IMMEDIATELY. And then I snuggled back on the couch with a cuddly puppy and his golden girl sister. And I took the entire day to loaf until I went to one of my virtual stitching clubs and a yin yoga (restorative) workshop later that evening.
What a gift a day like that is! To be clear, it’s not my norm to loaf all day. In fact, I’ve reflected on this more this week, I am struggling to remember a “lazy” day other than being too ill to be productive. Frankly, that’s a shame. Our bodies require rest, renewal, and restoration to be our best selves.
I know better and I need to do better. As my make a shift back to teaching full-time I will have less meetings and less rigidity in my schedule. But that will not exempt me from the (very American) equation of too much to do and too little time to do it.
I was raised by parents with strong moral compasses and a dedicated work ethic. They could hardly help it, coming from long lines of work ethic. I don’t begrudge that sprit – I encourage it – but I am determined to do that in healthy ways, honoring myself as a whole person. I don’t always get that right, and there was a point in my life where I reached what is commonly referred to as burnout. I know better than to reach that point again. Taking an occasional “loaf” day is one strategy to get there.
Our bodies require rest, renewal, and restoration to be our best selves.
Loaf days for me, mean I focus on fun things that don’t check anything off a task list.
Binge watching dumb TV (or good TV!), movies, etc.
Playing video games or my all-time favorite game The Sims
Embroidering without looking at the clock
Making food that is fun to eat but not on a meal plan
Endless dog snuggles (can’t say this isn’t also a regular occurrence on non-loaf days!)
I could easily add more things to the list, and your list will no doubt vary from mine. But I encourage you to find some time – even if you literally have to plan for it and schedule it – to just loaf around here and there.
One practice helping me personally is an increased focus on yoga, knowing that it helps my chronic back pain and improves my mental health. As they guide yogis through stillness, many of my instructors remind us “there is nothing to be done” in this moment – nothing to fix, nothing to put on a list, nothing to even think about. The discipline of your mind getting to that point is hardly easy! Some days I feel like I can do it, other days I’m thinking about work during shavasana – the time you should be fully resting!
Of course, the other thing a quality yoga teacher reminds you is yoga is a practice. There is no perfection to reach. Some days my tree pose is amazing, some days I can barely keep my balance. But I keep showing up to honor what my body and spirit seem to need.
Beyond knowing how to best manage my own version of chronic pain and my mental wellbeing, for my own faith practice, I believe rest to be a spiritual discipline. Of course, I also have decades of research on my own body, mind, and spirit – I know I need rest! So after a little extra loafing and resting this weekend, would you believe that I returned to the regularly scheduled program of my life feeling restored, refreshed, renewed, and much closer to the best version of myself on Monday?
Practical Advice for the Workplace
The hardest part of resting well might not even be making ourselves do it. Rather, for those in positions of leading and managing others, it’s necessary to model this practice well. (Spoiler alert this guy is not the model). So here’s a little advice from my years of study, research, and practice in the org leadership sphere.
Model choosing and honoring rest. This includes taking PTO and truly disconnecting. There are people who are dealing with true emergencies and have to remain on call all the time. That’s simply not the case for most of us.
Find ways to give free time off where you can. Let people leave early or come in late occasionally, especially in intense times that demand extra hours. Try to pioneer unique summer hours policies, random extra days off, floating holidays, etc.
Do not contact people when they are on PTO or leave. The end. If I am the world’s foremost neurosurgeon, maybe there’s an exception. Otherwise, respect boundaries and rest!
Do not ask why people are taking time off. If someone requests a day off the same day of your organization’s huge gala that is “all hands on deck,” you may need to say no. You still don’t need to pray! You might indicate you cannot approve the time because of the gala, etc. and say you’re happy to reconsider if there is an emergent need. When someone wants to take a random Friday off, you don’t need to know why! Asking questions like that discourages good use of PTO.
Approve PTO whenever you can. Unless you have a situation like the gala above, complicating scheduling factors, someone else out by emergency, etc. approve PTO with a generous spirit.
Encourage your team to regularly use PTO. And when they do…do not behave as if it is an inconvenience. For those working in a PTO model, the P stands for paid…employees have earned this leave as part of their pay package. They get to use it!
If you have the political capital, push for policies that enhance rest and renewal. I’m not talking wellness plans here…Work to ensure your employer provides fair PTO amounts that are competitive and help retain employees. Encourage your employer to have generous PTO rollover policies. Push for reasonable paid leave policies for things like bereavement and parental leave. Advocate for handling sick leave in ways that truly discourage people from working ill. Be reasonable about employee expectations for remote work and hybrid schedules. One google search can show you how much that dynamic is starting to shift despite a lot of employers sure wishing it wasn’t! (I also wrote on this topic if you’re looking for a page-turner or two…)
Obviously some workplace cultures won’t support your efforts…that’s a red flag in my opinion and might be a signal to start an exit strategy when/if you can. However, I also believe even the smallest of changes – starting with truly not checking email after 5 p.m. and expecting your team to do the same, can change things for your team (and yourself!)
This is far from a complete list, of course. What are some things you think managers and workplace leaders can do to affect change and honor the humanity of employees? What experiences have you had where you felt empowered to rest? Or not?