What my two-week European vacation reminded me about self-respect, renewal, and showing up as your best self at work and at home.
I’ve taken some time off from posting because I just returned from a wonderful two-week family vacation to Europe. While it would have been lovely to lounge poolside with a good book all day, that was not the vacation we booked. Instead, we were on a go-go-go adventure. We averaged nearly 13,000+ steps a day as we explored London, Paris, and multiple stops in gorgeous Switzerland. We navigated train stations, visited historical sites, enjoyed incredible meals, and created memories together.
What made this trip even more meaningful, was that I truly unplugged from work. I took plenty of photos on my phone, but I largely stepped away from email and resisted the temptation to constantly check in on either business. I know what you’re thinking, that must have been so difficult. As tempting as it was, I resisted the urge!
The experience reminded me of something I discuss in my chapter on Respect from Your B.R.A.N.D. Unleashed. One of the most important ways we can respect ourselves is by honoring our own needs, including the need to recharge. I highlight vacation as a way to unplug, unwind, and recharge our batteries.
If you’re a business owner, executive, or manager, chances are you’ve convinced yourself at least once that now is not a good time to take a vacation. There is always another client to serve, another problem to solve, another deadline to meet. Yet taking time away may be one of the most valuable investments you can make in yourself and your business. Here are 3 reasons why:
1. Time Away Gives You Perspective
When you’re immersed in work every day, it’s easy to get caught up in immediate challenges and lose sight of the bigger picture. The constant flow of emails, meetings, text messages, and decisions can make it difficult to think strategically.
Stepping away creates space. It allows your mind to slow down enough to reflect, process, and gain clarity.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve worked with leaders who were looking for answers while sitting right in the middle of the chaos. Often, the answers become much clearer when they create some distance from the situation.
Whether it’s a two-week European vacation, a long weekend, or even a day away from technology, time off gives your brain an opportunity to reset. You return with fresh eyes, renewed creativity, and often a better perspective on challenges that previously felt overwhelming.
2. Time Away Helps You Reconnect with What Matters Most
As business leaders, we spend a tremendous amount of time taking care of others. We support employees, clients, vendors, partners, and our communities. While those responsibilities are important, they should not come at the expense of the people we love most.
One of the greatest gifts of my recent trip was uninterrupted time with family. Without constantly checking work messages, I was able to be fully present for the conversations, experiences, laughter, and adventures we shared.
Many of us tell ourselves that we’re balancing work and family, yet our attention is often divided. We answer emails during dinner. We check notifications during conversations. We tell our loved ones we’re listening while simultaneously thinking about tomorrow’s meeting.
Being present is one of the most meaningful ways we can strengthen our relationships. Time away from work allows us to reconnect with spouses, children, parents, friends, and even ourselves in ways that can be difficult when business demands dominate every waking hour.
Years from now, I will not remember the emails that arrived while I was gone. I will remember the memories we created together.
3. Time Away Reenergizes You to Lead More Effectively
Leadership requires energy.
Your team depends on your ability to make decisions, solve problems, coach others, and remain optimistic during challenging times. None of those responsibilities become easier when you’re exhausted.
Many high achievers push themselves until they are running on fumes. They view rest as something they’ll get around to later, after one more project, one more quarter, or one more busy season.
Unfortunately, burnout rarely announces itself in advance.
It often shows up as irritability, lack of focus, decreased patience, reduced creativity, and lower motivation. When leaders are depleted, their teams feel it too.
Time off provides an opportunity to regroup and reenergize. Even though my European vacation was physically active, it offered a different type of energy renewal. I was learning, exploring, laughing, moving, and experiencing life beyond my professional responsibilities.
When we return from meaningful time away, we often bring back greater enthusiasm, sharper focus, and a stronger capacity to lead.
Success Tip: Your Team Needs Time Off Too
As managers and business owners, encouraging healthy time off cannot stop with us.
Many employees hesitate to take vacation because they worry about falling behind, inconveniencing coworkers, or appearing less dedicated. Unfortunately, when employees avoid taking time off, everyone loses.
As a leader, you have tremendous influence over how your team views work-life balance. If you never disconnect, your employees may assume they shouldn’t either. If you answer emails throughout your vacation, they may feel pressure to remain available during theirs.
Instead, encourage your team members to step away and recharge. Support them in taking the breaks they have earned. Remind them that rest is not a sign of weakness or lack of commitment.
When employees have opportunities to relax, reconnect with loved ones, regroup, and reenergize, they often return more engaged, creative, productive, and positive. A rested team is typically a more resilient team.
By supporting vacations and personal time, you’re not simply approving time off requests. You’re helping create a culture where people can sustain their energy and perform at their best over the long term.
Please Give Yourself Permission to Step Away
If you’re reading this and wondering when you can finally take that trip you’ve been postponing, consider this your gentle encouragement.
Give yourself permission to step away.
The emails will still be there when you return. The workplace will continue to function. With some expectation-setting, your clients will survive a few days without hearing from you.
What you gain in return may be far more valuable: renewed energy, stronger relationships, greater perspective, and a refreshed sense of purpose.
You work incredibly hard. You deserve the opportunity to recharge.
And sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your business is to leave it behind for a little while and go make some memories.
Let me know where you are heading!
