Need a Break?

Embrace the “Reitoff Principle”

“By allowing yourself to occasionally hit the pause button and step away from the constant pressure, you create space for growth and creativity.” 

– Ali Abdaal, Feel Good Productivity

Have you read the book, Feel Good Productivity; How to Do More of What Matters to You, by UK author, Ali Abdaal?

It’s a gem!

Feel Good Productivity is loaded with tangible tips, tools & techniques that are all geared towards increasing your productivity by helping you focus on what really matters to you. And that, as you may know, changes as we move through our lives. Our priorities, goals, dreams and values shift and change over time…and so do we. Managing our lives – our days, weeks & years -seems to be an evolving process.

But finding the joy in our days is a healthy constant to strive for.

“If you can tap into what makes you feel energized and alive,” writes Abdaal, “you can get anywhere. And you can enjoy the journey, too.”

Now that I’m in my mid-fifties, enjoying the journey is more important to me than ever.

Which brings us to the wisdom of taking a break every now and then.

“Back when I was balancing my full-time job as a junior doctor with growing my business,” writes the author, “I’d sometimes return home buzzing with energy, eager to dive into filming and editing videos. But other evenings, I was utterly exhausted from a grueling day at the hospital, with every fibre of my being craving the comfort of the sofa and the mindless escape of Netflix.”

But that felt wrong to him…unproductive. So he fought it. Until his roommate staged an intervention by asking him this wise and rather obvious question: “Ali, if you’re tired, why don’t you just write off the evening and rest?”

“Her words planted a seed in my mind,” the author explains. “What if she was right? Why couldn’t I just write off the evening and truly relax? As I wrestled with this internal conflict, I stumbled upon a term that perfectly encapsulated my newfound perspective: the ‘Reitoff Principle.’”

“The Reitoff Principle is the idea that we should grant ourselves permission to write off a day and intentionally step away from achieving anything. For many of us, the challenge of rest lies in the act of stepping back from the things we think we should be doing. We’re conditioned to value self-control, grit and persistence. We equate rest with laziness, weakness or failure.”

– Ali Abdaal, Feel Good Productivity

Does this ring true for you? It certainly does for me. I have to work really hard at not working! I absolutely love my work. But I have learned, over and over again, that to take an unplanned day (or half-day) off now and then is absolutely the smartest, most productive thing I could do.

Why?

Because if I am feeling the urge to write off a day, it’s because I probably need the break – even though I don’t want it. And taking that day off gives me the chance to rest…which for me doesn’t usually involve watching Netflix. For me, it’s taking a nice big nap, reading a book by the fire, puttering in the garden, going for a walk and/or to a yin yoga class, then having a hot bath before bed.

And then the next day, lookout work…here I come! My productivity after a “Reitoff Day” is through the roof.

In the author’s words:

“By doing less today, you can do more tomorrow.”

– Ali Abdaal, Feel Good Productivity

To feel guilty for taking a day off to rest is ridiculous. We are not machines. Yes, we need to be productive…but if we feel guilty for having the wisdom to push the pause button – so don’t – then at some point, our bodies will do it for us.

“When your physical, emotional, or spiritual fuel starts to run low, consider it a warning sign,” writes Dr. Dara Goldberg in her book, Awaken Your Inner Goddess. “The more depleted we feel, the more susceptible we are to others asserting their needs above ours or taking what they need from us.”

“Just like setting boundaries in relationships with others,” writes Goldberg, “it is important to set boundaries around having time alone to refuel and reflect.”

How about you?

Do you feel guilty about taking a day off…and doing sweet tweet on your own? Might you, your health, your relationships, your work & your productivity benefit from taking a “Reitoff Day”?

“The next time you start to sense that you’re running on fumes, stop what you’re doing and take a break.”

– Dr. Dara Goldberg

Or Reitoff an entire day, so you don’t become a write-off 🙂

Maryanne Pope is the author of “A Widow’s Awakening.” She also writes screenplays, playscripts & blogs. Maryanne is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Co-Founder of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive her blog, “Weekly Words of Wisdom,” please subscribe here. And be sure to visit our PinkGazelleCards Etsy shop.