42. Stop Waiting for a Vacation: Why Scheduling Rest is Crucial for Well-Being

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Feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or stuck in constant go-mode? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, we’re diving into the when, why, and how of taking time off—with a personalized twist.

Jenny shares:

• Why rest needs to be intentional—not just an afterthought
• The difference between a “day off” and a “day to catch up”
• How a countdown calendar can boost your mood and motivation
• The trial she’s using to schedule real rest every 3 weeks
• Tips to recognize when you're overdue for downtime

🎯 Takeaways / Action Steps:

• ✍️ Try scheduling something you're excited about (vacation or simple joy)
• 📅 Review your next month—block out a true off day
• 🧠 Check in with your mental load: are you coping, or just surviving?
• 🆓 Book a free discovery call at https://www.jennylytle.com/work-with-jenny

This isn’t just about a break—it’s about preventing burnout and protecting your peace.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com 

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the
Nurses' Break Room with JennyLettle RN.
I had a recent conversationwith a prospective client about
taking time off and how oftenthat should be done.
Now I believe that, like allthings self-care and stress
relief it's something that needsto be individualized to each
person, but I also have a fewoverarching tips.

(00:21):
Have things scheduled that youlook forward to Now.
It might be a vacation or alunch with a friend or the end
of a big project or commitment,and sometimes being able to
count down to a trip or the endof a class can give a little hit
of dopamine whenever you lookat it.

(00:41):
I use a free countdown timer tokeep track of my big things to
look forward to and it alwaysgives me a little boost.
But I've also noticed as I workmy regular nursing jobs and I'm
active in the community andworking with my coaching clients
and also our mental mattersclients that we have through our

(01:03):
church ministry also our mentalmatters clients that we have
through our church ministry thatit's easy for every day to have
something often multiple thingsscheduled and there aren't many
days off like really completelyoff, and when I do have a day
off from all those otherobligations.
That's when I really like tohave focused creative time.

(01:25):
But I can tell when I'mstarting to feel the tension
creep back up, when I realizethat for my mental health which
of course impacts my overallhealth and affects my
productivity and effectivenessthat I need to schedule a day
off for myself.
And I've decided to trial doinga day off once every three

(01:47):
weeks to see how that feels, andI've realized that that's not
something that's just going tohappen without me really
intentionally looking at mycalendar and blocking out some
of that time in advance, becauseit's easy for things to just
creep into there.
Now, for me this time off mayeven be on a weekend, because I

(02:09):
know that, like a lot of you,busyness doesn't just happen
Monday through Friday, it'soften seven days a week.
So looking at when I have a dayto relax and renew my spirit
not catch up on laundry orhousework is even more important
during the busy seasons.
Not catch up on laundry orhousework is even more important
during the busy seasons.
And it's going to take sometime and effort to intentionally
plan days that don't haveanything scheduled.

(02:31):
But I believe that it'spossible and it's worth it and
the overall idea of this, likewith everything I teach and
share, is to take time to checkin with yourself regularly so
that when things start to getout of whack, you can course

(02:52):
correct quickly in a way thatfits into your unique makeup and
season of life.
So you can develop a plan,trial it and then adjust as
needed.
And if you'd like to talk thatthrough with me no cost or
obligation at all jump on a freediscovery call and you can go
to my website, wwwjennyliddlecom.
Slash work hyphen with hyphenJenny.

(03:13):
Until next time.
Remember, self-care isn'tselfish.
It's essential if we want tocontinue to care for others and
live our best lives.
Have a great week.