The way to handle this is by informing each of your colleagues that you will be taking the day off. Moving any scheduled meetings that you are leading. Or informing those meetings that you will not be in attendance but will have someone fill in for you instead.
Ways To Get Out Of A Work Rut
One thing that makes summer so refreshing is the break it provides from our routine. That’s true whether you took vacation yourself; spent more time outdoors on the weekends; or availed yourself of summer Fridays or a slightly less demanding work pace with fewer meetings and deadlines.
Research shows that change — whatever it is — improves our mood and productivity. The classic experiment, done between 1924 and 1932, involved factory workers in the Midwest. Among other things, when management installed slightly brighter light bulbs, or changed the length of assembly-line breaks during the work day, they noticed that productivity picked up.
Psychologists disagree about how to explain the "Hawthorne effect," as it’s called (a reference to the Hawthorne Works factory complex in Cicero, IL where this study of industrial behavior took place). One hypothesis is that workers sparked to the idea that management cared about them.
It’s a rare company that sends that message today. Employers want more productivity from fewer people and expect constant connectivity. (See my colleague Jeff Bercovici’s post, "Are You The Perfect Always-On Employee? No Problem. Here’s How To Fake It." and my post, "How To Keep Your Job Without Working Yourself To Death.") But you can reduce the drudgery by changing routines yourself–even slightly. Here are 12 ways to do that.
1. Set a bedtime and wake-up time. To feel your best the next day, sleep experts recommend going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Though many people have an alarm set to wake up at a specific hour, they tend to be more flexible about when they go to sleep. By sticking to a schedule for both (including on weekends), you’ll be significantly more alert than if you slept for the same total amount of time at varying hours during the week. (For more about improving your sleep patterns, see my post, "12 Ways To Beat Insomnia And Sleep Better–No Matter What’s Keeping You Awake.")
Why You Should Stop Working on the Weekends – for Your Health?
A recent survey by Enterprise Rent-A-Car of 1,000 Americans ages 25 and older found that 67% of respondents worked on a typical weekend, primarily by reading and answering work-related emails. As per the same report, working on weekends has become very common for US people. Around 63% of employees said their employers expect them to work on weekends, and 61% said they have a difficult time not thinking about work over the weekend.
Many employees think that Working on weekends or working long hours would yield them better results but its just a myth. It does not do any good to your professional life and also can hinder their health in many ways. Some of the common problems which employees experience if worked for long hours are,
“If you don’t have a start and an end to a week, then it’s just one long continuous work week, which can be problematic,” says Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and performance coach in New York City and author of the book “Be Fearless: Change Your Life In 28 Days”.
“Working excessive weekend hours can also damage your mental health“, says Mayra Mendez, a licensed psychotherapist and program coordinator for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health services at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California.
Working is a very important part of life for a living, but we should not make the mistake of making your work as your life. Now if you are one of them who spends most of their time working even on weekends, here are few strategies and tips professionals recommend to help you avoid such a habit of working on weekends and enjoy your days off and de-stress:
Plan a Mini Retreat
It can be easy to lose sight of the inspiration that once motivated you if you’re mired in busywork and the daily ins and outs of your job. Without a sense of purpose, you’re more likely to feel down and shuffle aimlessly through your workday.
When this happens, try planning a mini retreat for yourself. Take a day or two to refocus. You don’t have to travel anywhere; simply dedicate intentional time to exploring your purpose. You can do this by asking yourself big questions like “What would I be doing if money wasn’t a problem?” or “When do I feel most alive?”
Whether you recognize your intention to move up the ranks within your current company or start your own business one day, define your “why” and commit to making it a priority. Don’t let a little bump in the road derail your ambition.
What If I Need to Take Off in Advance
If you need to get out of work in the future and know the date. Then you can either use a last-minute excuse the day you need to use it. Or decide that it’s better to take a vacation day or unpaid workday.
Most employers will be okay with a last-minute vacation day. And if you don’t receive vacation days, they’ll be okay with last-minute needs you have to address. It’s okay to take an escape from your job. And refresh yourself.
Employers have changed their policies dramatically about this. Flexibility is one of the top benefits that Generation-Z and Millennials appreciate in the workforce. This has caused a shift in the workplace. Making it more common for employees to be seeking time off and last minute flexibility.
4 excuses when you have scheduling conflicts/emergency
“I noticed you scheduled me to work the overnight shift on Tuesday, but remember I’m scheduled for 11 am the next day. I wouldn’t have enough time to rest and get here since I live outside of the city.”
This is a fool-proof excuse since a sleepy employee is useless to an employer and he/she will try to accommodate a schedule change as best as possible. Don’t attempt this unless there’s a problem since he/she will actually check.
If you have children, and your spouse works the night shift, you can use this as an excuse to never work the night shift again. Surely you aren’t expected to leave your kids at home!
If you lie about this, your employer is unlikely to trust you again and will not believe any excuses you have in the future. You may also put yourself in a position to be terminated.
Photo by Chevanon Photography under pexels license
This works best when you have proof of employment from your other job, and your employer can afford to fill the spot without having to shorten your work hours. Here’s what you can say:
When you have a child custody agreement, you can be in serious trouble if you do not fulfil your responsibilities. In most instances, you will be able to work some night shifts, but not others.
It’s good to use with a boss who is understanding and won’t see this as an inconvenience. After all, you can’t bring your child to an overnight job and you definitely can’t leave him/her home alone.
“Hi Kelsey, we just finalized the custody battle and I have my daughter on weekends and every other holiday. Is there a way we could adjust my schedule for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights?”
References:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/09/04/12-ways-to-get-out-of-a-work-rut/
https://content.wisestep.com/get-weekends-off-work/#:~:text=1%20Change%20your%20way%20of%20thinking%202%20Give,least%20on%20weekends%207%20Don%E2%80%99t%20habituate%20to%20oversleeping
https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-ways-to-bounce-back-from-a-work-rut-no-matter-how-long-youve-been-in-it
https://www.algrim.co/858-good-excuses-to-miss-work
https://tosaylib.com/excuses-to-get-out-of-working-night-shift/