The only way is up - via down time

It was time.  Time for time out.  One of the most important lessons I've learned as a therapist, concerns my diary.  Knowing when my next break will be means I can offer the best of myself to those I seek to support.  My breaks are planned well ahead of time, and this is reflected in my diary.  I actually cross out those days I am not working, and have agreed the length and regularity of holidays with my supervisor who regularly asks me where I am in my working cycle.  It's important.  Working in the charities sector for much of my early career was good preparation:  holidays could not be carried over, and we were encouraged to make good use of our allowance, booking it in advance to guard against the dangers of burnout.  Working for myself, the same applies. 

Time spent switching off is not a luxury.  It is vital.  It is factored into every week, and not confined to the weekend.  I need to switch gears more regularly that that - mentally, and physically.  Longer breaks allow me to let go of my usual  routine, and I try to combine this with a change of environment.  This is one of the reasons why, for the time being at least, I don't choose to work from home.  I like to travel to and from work, and the movement between different geographical locations throughout my week is actually an asset rather than an inconvenience. 

That said, time spent further afield, exploring somewhere new and unfamiliar has a medicinal quality too.  Opening my eyes in a fresh landscape allows me to adjust my view, refine my focus, gaining clarity and the possibility of a new perspective.  So called 'down time' can be some of my most productive and creative time.  Diaries are placed to one side, schedules may be interrupted or even suspended.  Deadlines remain on the horizon - where they remain, neither forgotten nor foreground.  They have been accounted for, and just for now, I need be only here.  My senses are awakened and deepened, due to the possibility of increased engagement and willingness.  Expectations and assumptions, such good friends with routine and normality, are given a break, creating a spaciousness into which the new and unexplored can emerge.  There is a whole new world, waiting to be explored, if only we give ourselves the time to do so.