In late October, I spent about a week on a retreat with Stephanie Schroeder of Creative Nature. She’s the owner and visionary behind the business, and also a dear friend. Her goal is to offer curated experiences that bring you back to yourself. Her perspective, (and I agree!) is that by bringing you back into alignment with your authentic self, you can find new perspective on how you spend your time and energy.

We spent about a week in Mérida, México, which is located in the Yucatán Peninsula. I told myself going into the trip that I would unplug from work. While I was waiting for our connecting flight in the Houston airport, I deleted all of my work apps: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat, etc. I silenced all notifications from non-essential apps. I made sure my team and colleagues knew I was not to be contacted unless someone actually died. Yes, I actually did say those exact words to those that report to me.

I spent the week living presently. I journaled daily, following the prompts that Stephanie offered at the beginning of each day. I even leaned into discomfort by only bringing my speedos for swimsuits! I’ve always struggled with body image issues, and this was an opportunity to see and love myself, exactly as I am.

I had a lot of fun on the trip and came back refreshed and ready to take on whatever came my way. What was truly magical was how quiet my mind was when I was disconnected from my work apps. Sure, I had some anxiety and mental spiraling about what ifs and what will I walk back into…, etc. For a few days, it took some mental effort to pull myself back to the present moment. I realized then how much thought, anxiety, and energy I put into my work.

The act of unplugging is so important. As a remote worker, I have poor boundaries. I often work past 5pm, responding to emails until 8pm or even later. This vacation made me realize how critical to my well-being it is to take time for myself.