Finding an employer that truly gets work-life balance is a treasure. I feel fortunate that at 2A, we work hard and play hard. And if you’ve read our blog you’ve seen that we have all kinds of fascinating interests and endeavors.
For me, balanced living also comes from working hard and then doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. For my birthday, my husband gave me a yoga retreat on Whidbey Island. It is one of the most memorable gifts I’ve received—I learned the value of stopping life and reflecting.
I was a bit anxious when I walked into the great hall at the Whidbey Island Retreat Center. First off, I was wearing shorts. Even the men in the room knew that you don’t wear shorts to a yoga retreat. And people were very open and forthcoming as they explained what they wanted out of the weekend, some even shed tears. As we went around the room introducing ourselves, we stated our intentions, because that’s what you do in yoga. I distinctly remember saying that I have a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I haven’t had a break in, well, three and a half years.
The lovely and limber yoga teacher declared this was our weekend—show up for the opening and closing meetings, but between now and then we could do what we wanted, even if that wasn’t yoga. I immediately adored this teacher. A whole weekend with no obligations, and farm-to-table meals.
Not only was I wearing shorts, I was also the sole loner in the group. Everyone came with a friend, or even a posse. But that didn’t matter because next I learned the rest of the day was going to be silent. Huh? That wasn’t in the brochure. But I was blissfully released from all social obligations. Rather than making small talk through dinner, we were assigned no talk. Awkward at first, then gradually, I let go of my self-consciousness and relaxed into the silence. My mind loosened up, and my thoughts unraveled, until I reached a peaceful awareness. In fact, the next morning when we were released from silence, I chose to stay in my quiet state until the afternoon.
My great awakening of the weekend was the sheer joy of spending time with myself. It felt like a luxurious gift to not worry about anyone else or be tied to a schedule. And while I thoroughly enjoyed having someone else prepare seaweed salads and chia pudding, the real thrill was sitting quietly with myself. I didn’t realize how cluttered and busy my mind had become until I had a chance to stop and listen to my thoughts. Little by little, I cleaned out the noise in my head and relaxed into silence. I came away completely refreshed, not to mention more limber.
Back at work, I have become a cheerleader for time-outs. I tell everyone who will listen, “if you possibly can, take 2-3 days to yourself each year. Just you. And if you go in silence, even better.”
When was the last time you spent a day on you? You don’t need acai bowls and sun salutations. Make a decision to devote time to yourself. Yes, it is a luxury, and perhaps you can only find one day to yourself. But treat yourself to the gift of time and space and you may just achieve that ever-elusive work-life balance.