It’s World Relaxation Day, but the World Is Anything but Relaxed

Welcome to Back to Bright, where the echoes of high achievement meet the realities of mitigating chronic stress. Created by Erayna Sargent and the Hooky Wellness team, join us in exploring topics like hard-truths about burnout, discovering relief through mental wellness, and redefining success. Welcome to a space dedicated to reclaiming your brilliance.

The world feels upside down, yet we’re still expected to keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, day after day. And we do. Some of us manage better than others. But after spending the past four years focused on burnout relief, I’ve noticed one thing—we’ve lost the ability to just chill. As a culture, we’ve forgotten how to take a proper break.

Let me start by saying this: I’ve been there. As a corporate professional turned entrepreneur, mother and wife in a persistent battle with ADHD, I know firsthand what it feels like to juggle a million things at once and still feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water. I used to think that just pushing through was the only way to get everything done. But the truth is, that approach nearly broke me.

One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was how to take quality breaks. This wasn’t something I was ever taught—not in school, not in the workplace, not anywhere. It’s like we’re expected to just know how to do it, but let’s be real, most of us don’t. If you’ve heard my story, you know it took my therapist putting me on “time out” for me to realize that I had no idea how to truly rest. I was forced to do nothing other than what my body needed for relief.

You’re on PTO, but Your Mind Is Still Working

Have you ever finally carved out some time for yourself—whether it’s lying on a yoga mat, getting a massage, or just sitting in silence—only to have your mind keep running through your to-do list? I’ve been there too many times to count. It’s like you’re supposed to be relaxing, but instead, you’re more stressed than ever because you can’t turn off your brain.

When I started Hooky Wellness four years ago, I didn’t realize just how much I needed to relearn what taking a break really meant. I had to unlearn the bad habit of equating rest with laziness. But the reality is, taking quality breaks is a skill—and it’s one that most of us were never taught.

The Culture of Burnout: A Vicious Cycle

Did you know that in 2018, there were 768 million days of unused vacation time in the U.S.? And over 30% of that time was forfeited. I was shocked when I learned this, but then I looked at my own habits and realized I wasn’t much different. I was guilty of taking time off but never really unplugging—always checking emails, always thinking about the next task. And it’s no wonder that more than 50% of managers feel burned out.

But here’s the thing: 54% of people don’t know how to disengage on PTO. That used to be me. I was burned out and wasn’t using my time off to actually rest and recover. I’d come back from “vacation” feeling just as exhausted as before, sometimes even worse.

The Power of Quality Breaks

I had to learn that quality breaks don’t mean taking some lavish 10-day vacation (though that sounds nice). It can be as simple as truly using your weekends to rest or taking a single day off to recharge. Quality breaks are the most universal and accessible way to relieve burnout, but so many of us waste that time because we don’t know how to make the most of it.

As someone who’s been through it, I can tell you that you owe it to yourself to take breaks that actually recharge you. And if you’re a leader, you have a responsibility to model this for your team. They’re watching how you handle stress and burnout, and they’ll follow your lead.

It’s World Relaxation Day, but true relaxation starts with learning how to take better breaks every day, not just once a year.

Ready to make that change? Download my 5-Step Guide to Taking Better, Higher Quality Breaks and start making rest a priority in your life today. HERE

Hooky Wellness provides burnout relief training and support for high-performance professionals. We've supported over 2500 professionals at leading companies including Microsoft, Netflix, Estee Lauder, Linkedin, and more.  Our programs use the P.A.C.E™ framework, empowering individuals to recognize early signs of burnout and implement effective and personalized relief strategies. Ready to fill your leadership development gap with actionable well-being support?

Visit hookywellness.com to learn more about our services & support for individuals, organizations, and teams.