Why I'm Taking A Week Off of Work

Let me start by explaining a little something about my day job: I am a contract editor for a medlegal company. That means that I am paid, by the hour, for the work that I do. I do not get any sick leave, any mental health leave, or any vacation time. If I do not work, I do not get paid; it’s as simple as that. It’s a bit annoying to not have the security of paid time off, but I do get to take time off when I need it so long as I let them know at least two weeks ahead of time for scheduling purposes. (And it’s easier for them to be more understanding when I tell them that I can’t complete an assignment because I have a huge migraine.)

Of course, this does leave me more hesitant to actually take time off. After all, I need money. I have student loans and credit cards that I need to pay down, as well as other necessities of everyday life. How can I just take off even a day when it could cost me up to $160 (or $200 on a really busy day)?

Well, I have recently come to realize that taking time off is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Why? Simply put, I am worn out. I might not be able to keep working at this pace if I don’t take a break—a true break—soon.

Ever since I started freelancing in 2017, I have worked constantly, in one form or another, without a break. Even when I went on vacation with my mom to Disneyland, I would still work on various freelancing projects—and, as of last year, audits for my new contract editing position—before and after we would go to the park. Sometimes, I stop on the weekend and spend my time writing instead. Often, though, I do not. Some people might call me a workaholic (even though I do not always enjoy the work).

It's no wonder that I’m almost out of charge. I have not given myself time to relax, to enjoy myself, to do what I want to do (and, sometimes, what I need to do). I have been so focused on work that I have not left time for anything else.

That is why I am going to do the unthinkable: I am taking the first week of December off from work, even though that means I will not get paid.

I am going to spend that week sleeping, relaxing, writing, and catching up on some chores that I have neglected for work. I will not get to go anywhere except maybe into town, but it should still be a time for me to recharge my mental batteries and reset myself so that I can continue working without having a complete shutdown. Given everything that has happened to me this past year, I think that I deserve—and need—it.

In fact, I think that we all need to take at least a week off of work once a year. I know that it is not profitable for us financially, but it is beneficial mentally and socially. It keeps us from running our batteries down completely and allows us to catch up on our social obligations that we have inevitably neglected for work. It might even be beneficial for work. We come back from our one-week break refreshed and ready to get back into the fray, rather than continuing to be run-down and making sloppy mistakes (as I noticed I have been making lately). Heck, perhaps two weeks of vacation—one in each half of the year—might be called for at that rate!

I know that I have destroyed myself by running virtually nonstop the past eight years. I’m learning, though. I will be taking a break at the beginning of this next month, and I will learn to take more frequent breaks without putting myself into a financial hole so that I can keep myself from having a meltdown. We all need breaks every now and then to stay in pique form, and if our bosses don’t like it…well, perhaps they shouldn’t be our bosses, then.