Tried It, And This Happened: I Took A "Funployment" Before Starting My New Job And It Was Amazing
Push my brand new boss for a later start date...me? Can I do that? Is that allowed?
Several years in the working world, and I finally did.
Hear me. When we’re talking about most “asks” in my job, I practically break into a sweat. By and large, I hate making waves - in my personal life, or professional - and I’ve been through enough stressful job turnovers, to feel terrified of doing or saying anything that puts my tenure at risk. Negotiate more PTO? I’d sooner clean every toilet in the District with my mouth (not not being dramatic...).
We all need to work. But the truth is that our working lives come at a cost. The working world asks a tremendous amount from us - surprise! Work-related stress is the front-running factor for young adults. Yayyyyy...
Simultaneously though, on our commute or random Instagram ads, or sidebar article titles in our web browsers, we hear about the merits of “unplugging,” periodically stepping away from technology, how it’s good for our brains and eyes and minds and lives if we want to be fully present in them, and so on.
But who, we ask, has the time? Unplugging sounds nice, but for most of us working desk jobs, it’s super hard to do that when our duties demand long hours at a computer. And lengthy time off your phone is frowned upon, both socially and professionally, lest you render yourself unreachable for any substantial length of time. The horror! The audacity!!
So where’s is the compromise? Does a fair one exist?
Bottom line: we’re stressed. With all that a steady income affords us, it does come with a price. Is it a bit of a dance to feel out how and when to stick up for yourself, however cordially and professionally, with your management when it comes to time off? No doubt.
That said, however, I might be so bold to posit that it’s a risk worth taking. For the first time in my life, I asked for a later start to my new job. I knew I didn’t want to leap right from one job to the next if I could avoid it, and wanted some time to rest. And guess what? My request was obliged. Did that just happen?
You bet you’re Hudson-clad rump it did. And I’m so glad I did it.
Whenever I have a rare window of substantial free time to myself, I sit down and set goals to outline what I want to see finished. Make yours whatever you’d like it to be! Here were mine:
Flesh out two blog posts
Finish the book I’m reading
Photograph my surroundings
Work out every day
Write 2 articles for the magazine (big ups Exhibit A)
Meditate
Watch the sunrise
When it comes to my time, I never want to look back and think I wish I had gotten this or that done, when I had the time to do it.
Final verdict? I will listen to my body, heart, and mind, and do a kindness to myself by allowing time and space for rest. For my week off, I did what I do best - I let myself explore somewhere new. Feeding my curiosity, I booked a dank AF Airbnb for myself (one of my goals for 2019!) and planned the rest of the trip around its location. And then I went back to work.
Easier said than done, perhaps, but if it’s that much of a wrestle to negotiate some time off, it may be time to reassess how much your employer values you. Happy and healthy employees are productive employees. Productivity means more cabbage in their pockets. Etc. Etc. Whatever that looks like for you - finagling some down time during job transitions, asking for more PTO, or even planning ahead for unpaid time off - I’d suggest this: just do it.
If you could take a week off, what would you do?
To see what I did, follow me on Instagram @icedchai_lahtay and check out my “Arizona” story highlights. It was one of the best long weekends of my year.
