July 12 is National Simplicity Day, a day to let go of life’s complications and focus on the essentials. That need to simplify life and get back to what matters is at the heart of this Simple Living Sunday series. Life is hectic and it’s easy to lose perspective. I have this week off work, so I plan to relax and recharge, and take time for simple pleasures. Will you join me?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu

Three simple pleasures and highlights

Continuing my practice of celebrating the simple things in life, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.

• My tomato plants are thriving. They have doubled in size over the last couple of weeks and they are flowering. I can’t wait for some fresh home grown tomatoes.
• On Friday, my mum, my sister and my cousin came over for lunch and we had a wonderful visit for the afternoon.
• I found a new recipe for chicken pot pie soup on Pinterest. I made it for lunch on Friday and it was delicious.

This week’s simple living focus: Making time to relax and recharge

I love to travel and explore new places, but I also love to spend time at home. That’s probably why the pandemic wasn’t as horrible for me as it was for others—I actually welcomed a little quiet time, and never seemed to run out of things to do at home.

Every year, I try to set aside a week’s vacation time to stay home. That’s my definition of a “staycation”, although I understand others define that term differently. Being a busy bee, I always start the week with a list of things I want to get done. You know…those jobs that there never seems to be enough time for when you’re working a full-time job and keeping up with day-to-day life.

I do have such a list for this coming week. But…at the top of that list is making time every day to relax and recharge.

Why we all need to take a break

The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest.

Seneca

The smart folks at University of California, Berkeley have figured out all the reasons why time away from work is good for you. Their research shows that taking time off to relax and recharge helps you work harder and be more productive. It also make you healthier, and gives you more stamina and enthusiasm for your work.

So why is it so hard for many people to tear themselves away from their jobs? Every year, I see statistics on vacation days that go unused. Even worse than not taking vacation time is taking time off and not fully unplugging. How many people do you know who check work emails and call into meetings during their “vacation”? It’s a sad statement on our lives that we need legislation like Ontario’s recently-introduced “Right to Disconnect” law to give us permission to take a break and set boundaries between work and life.

Personally, I’ve never had a problem disconnecting from work. I often remind myself that, in the grand scheme of corporate life, I’m really not that important. My employer can live without me for a week or two. Let’s face it, if I dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow, my employer would easily replace me—but my family wouldn’t.

That philosophy has helped me manage the boundaries between work and life. When I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation—and that means no emails or work calls. It will all be there when I get back, and I’ll be better equipped to deal with it after a real break.

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Three things to do this week

Here are three things to do this week to relax and recharge and get back to what really matters in life.

Make a list of activities that bring you joy

Start by making a list of things that help you relax and recharge that you never have time for. Here’s what I have on my list for this week:

• Read a book
• Listen to music
• Go for a long walk on a local hiking trail
• Relax on my deck with a tall glass of iced tea

Book time in your day to do them

I’ve often said that we make time for the things that matter to us. Yet, why do we have such a hard time prioritizing things that bring us joy?

This week, book time in your calendar to do some of the activities on that list. Start with 15 minutes a day, then gradually increase from there. Treat that time as sacred—turn off your phone, and ignore distractions.

Since I’m off work this week, I plan to do the opposite. I will set aside two hours every morning to do some of the things on my to do list. Then, I will spend the rest of my day doing things that bring me joy.

Disconnect from work…even for a little while

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes. Including you.

Anne Lamott

If unplugging from work is hard for you, start small. Take one evening to disconnect completely. Turn off your phone at the end of the work day, and put away your laptop. If you’re on vacation, resist the urge to check email or call into the office. Reset expectations by letting your co-workers know, in advance, of your intentions.

It’s no secret that, after decades of employers being able to rule our lives, we’re currently in a employee’s job market. This environment is an opportunity to refocus and set boundaries for a healthy work-life relationship in the future. But, if you constantly find the lines between your work and personal life blurring, it may be time to consider a career change.

It’s time to hit the pause button on our hectic lives, and make time for the simple joys that bring meaning to our lives. That’s what Simple Living Sundays (and Mondays…and Tuesdays…) are all about.

How do you carve out time to relax and recharge? Tell me your thoughts below.