Chapter 10: Mental Health Edition
Tejal Rives
Everyone's favorite former Tech Recruiter | Current Product Marketing Manager for Amazon's TA Tech | First Gen Immigrant | Nerd at heart |
Everyone has a different expectation of mental health; especially when it comes to work-life balance. Not everyone will look at detaching the same way!
May is mental health awareness month in the US. During this month, I took a solo trip to Europe for around 10 days. This was the first trip I took where I didn’t have to see anyone and didn’t really have an agenda of meeting anyone. For an extrovert like me, this was nerve-wracking.
While I did have a plan that involved group tours, this trip for all intent and purposes was solo. During this time, I learned a lot about myself and my mental health!
Did I check my work email, LinkedIn, and Slack? Yes, absolutely. But it was by choice. MY choice!
You see most people assume that when you’re at work, you’re 100% at work, and when you’re on vacation you’re 100% on vacation. That means no distraction from either activity.
For a neuro-divergent person like me, absolutes are a no-no! During my trip, I didn’t do anything that I wasn’t comfortable with. It was about what I wanted. That to me is the epitome of mental health – balance in all things.
Many people dictate a lot of things during our lives, but only you get to decide what's good for your mental health.
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Why is this important? Because peer pressure is real. You can buy into the peer pressure of needing to work or ‘hustle’ all the time. Hustle culture is so pre-2020 don’t you think? Many people will tell you that during vacation time you CAN’T log in to work at all. That’s at least the new trend.
The reality is that mental health is whatever makes sense for you the most! You want to check into work during your ‘time-off’? Do IT! You want to detach for an hour during your workday to go to the gym, catch up on personal stuff, etc? DO IT!
Make your life on your terms and don’t let other people dictate what you do.
Your mental health can be in your control as long as you take ownership of it. Figure out what you want, and you can do it! Knowing is the first step to acceptance and acceptance gives you confidence.
Until next time,
Stay Caffeinated!
Neurodivergent | Information Security Officer @ SG Computers Inc. |
2yI work for an org out of Switzerland. On my 2nd trip, I didn't go with any coworkers, I asked for recommendations and walked around, everyone was amazed, even tried to speak German but everyone spoke English. They where all amazing to a solo traveler. Nothing like the stories I heard. Mu bigger fear traveling alone is not speaking the language. But I have been to the EU and Central America, and they all mostly speak English or we communicate with pictures now. People will find a way to communicate now with Tech its easier. But I still freak out when traveling along. The biggest anxiety I have, but I love to traveling alone. I hike alot alone, for my mental health I need some time alone.
Senior Executive- Client Solutions at Phronesis Partners
2yLoved the thought highlighted here!✨
🏳️🌈Senior Tech Recruiter (Startup->SMB->Enterprise Global F50->500 exp) - Career Strategist| Writer/Author (check out my articles!)
2yI love solo travel! I meet so many interesting people and see so many great sights on my own terms. Enjoy !!