A gentle reminder to unplug, recharge, and give your mind the rest it deserves.

As the year winds down and the holiday season approaches, it’s tempting to jump straight into planning, organising, and thinking about everything you want to achieve next. But before you rush ahead, I want to invite you to pause, really pause, and permit yourself to switch off. Not the half-on, half-off version where your mind is still replaying conversations or drafting emails in the background, but a genuine mental break that allows you to reset, breathe, and fully detach from work.

In case you’re not familiar with the term, psychological detachment simply means mentally stepping away from work when you’re not working - letting your brain have a break from problem-solving, planning and replaying emails in your head. It’s not about ignoring responsibilities; it’s about giving your mind a holiday of its own.

Here’s some practical tips to psychologically detach from work:

• Set clear boundaries: turn off notifications, set your out-of-office and let people know when you’ll be back.

• Create rituals to mark the start of your break: a walk, a favourite drink, closing your laptop - something that signals “holiday mode”.

• Be fully present in what restores you: time with family, time alone, hobbies, sleep -whatever genuinely fills your tank.

• Gently redirect work thoughts: if your mind wanders back, acknowledge it, jot it down if needed, and return to the moment.

I’ve also got a few reflection questions to think about, to reflect on what helps you to rest:

• What does real rest look like for you - not what you think it should look like?

• What activities, people or places genuinely energise you?

• How will you know you’ve actually rested - what will feel different?

• What boundaries might you set to give yourself that space?

Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s fuel and it’s extremely productive. You deserve it, not just because you’ve earned it, but because real rest makes everything we do next sustainable.