A realization hit me this summer while we were in California: I had not hardly taken extended time off of work in the entire 2.5-3 years that I have been working as a copywriter. I’ve taken MAYBE a week for Christmas before, but filled it with travel and busyness, not rest.

I decided it was time for some rest! So, I rearranged my schedule, talked to my clients, worked ahead, and actually managed to take TWO WHOLE WEEKS off from copywriting. I honestly was shocked that it was possible. 

Here are a few thoughts/ things I learned during two weeks out of office.

1. Things don’t fall apart if I step away to breathe

Why is it that if I let myself slow down and breathe a TINY bit, I often have to push back against this rushed, frantic feeling that my entire business and life will basically fall apart? It’s not true. They won’t totally fall apart. Of course, all the nuances and qualifications about how work and stewardship is a necessary and good part of life are true. We should work, be good stewards, not be lazy. Usually, though, we should do those things in a less frantic way than is our default.

2. I love my work, for the most part

Having two weeks without any work that I HAD to do (besides normal house and life things) made me realize that I actually do love working with people, working on big-picture projects, and structuring my days with Studio work. It’s mostly fun and satisfying, even if I get tired and burned out some days. I’m super grateful!

3. I thrive on ROUTINES

Without a work routine, I had a hard time knowing what to do with myself. Not that I didn’t have plenty to do! I had whole projects I wanted to finish that I ended up hardly even touching! But it’s actually hard for me to do them without a structure in place.

4. I can also afford to be more flexible and spontaneous

I know the perception of people who work from home is that they have all the flexibility in the world. And it’s not always true… we have real tasks, hard deadlines, and people counting on us just like more traditional jobs. BUT it’s also easy to swing the other direction and think that I ALWAYS must stick to that routine that I’m so familiar with. But I don’t always have to! Sometimes I can take a break and run to a thrift store! And it’s important that I don’t get so stuck on my routine that I forget to take advantage of the benefits that are available with a work-from-home schedule. 

I know I learned more things in my time off… but these are four that I’ve been pondering! If you’re unsure, let me encourage you– resting is always worth the time. It IS productive. You won’t regret it.