It’s almost impossible as a business owner to take a long break from work and your day-to-day. But I sensed a huge burnout in the last few months. I was working hard, I was happy but always tired. I found temporary energy by spending time with friends, my kids, visiting my family, but not any of it was long-lasting.
The last few years have been tiring with non-stop juggling at work and balancing home. The last memorable long break I took was the 14-day quarantine I did inside a hotel room in Singapore during the peak of COVID-19. My husband joked then that I walked out of that hotel room ‘glowing’.
So when the chance came to drop off our elder daughter for her overseas summer programme, it almost seemed like I have to make it work for me too. With some months of planning (both for me, her and our younger one), I embarked on what I now call ‘my biggest work from anywhere project’. This may seem normal to anyone (and very doable), but I am in the service industry, where my work requires me to be physically around to make things happen.
I choose to spend my five-week period alone in a small town with a slow pace and simple needs. So here are the steps I took to recharge, reboot and reflect:
- Being in a different time zone: This helped to keep my day ‘empty and slow pace’. The freedom to wake up late, sit endlessly in a café, go for long walks, read for hours, binge watch.
- Set working hours with the team: This helped me to bring structure and process to my work on a day-to-day basis. This led me to prioritise my work and taught me to learn to disengage to let go of ‘small things’ which, in usual times, I would have spent hours doing.
- Focus and Priority: I did not overload myself with work during this period. With the clear objective of giving myself ‘rest’, I said no to some tempting work that came my way. This surely helped me to keep the focus and priority on my well-being.
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- I travelled light (three tracks, two jeans, three shirts), did my own laundry, cooked for myself (very rarely, though), learnt easy cooking hacks, set a budget for my daily meals, and found cafes where I could spend hours with my tablet or book.
- This trip helped me to stay agile and adaptable. Learning new ways of living, adapting to a new culture, and staying alone, required me to always be flexible. Some nights were long and stressful at work (thank you, my team, for making it fun always), so it required me to rest up and take it easy the next day (read order Uber eats).
- The slow pace and small towns: There is a charm about being in a small town. From a local cafe to your neighbourhood supermarket who start to recognise you and your preferences. I have always been a city girl, living a fast-paced life. Hence, picking a small town (all cafes close at 4:30 pm) forced me to slow down. This probably is life-changing for me, making me realise that small-town life or slow-paced life is good for me (and setting this pace lies in my hands). I don’t remember the last time I napped in the afternoon or spent hours reading the newspaper!
I was asked to taste this pie by the café owner
- Pick a nice accommodation: I spent weeks researching before finally choosing my place of stay. Apart from budget, location, view, and amenities, I also looked for security to feel safe. Not to forget, I chose to save on all sightseeing and travel costs, hence could splurge on a nice place to stay. I will always have fond memories of the hotel staff who always kept an eye on me, the housekeeping staff who learnt about my late-night work routine and were mindful not to knock on my door for service early mornings.
View from my apartment
I’m recharged, rebooted, enhanced with better digital skills (more adaptable to work on the go), even more resilient, thankful for the solo time, and for helping me bring out a better version of myself!
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