I’m writing this post while sitting in a condo down at the Oregon Coast. The wind is blowing outside, the rain is pattering against the windows, and outside through the mist I can see the waves crashing against the rocks. The fireplace is glowing, and the moon is rising in the sky as I relax on the couch still recovering from the intense massage I had this morning.
And I’m not thinking about work. And I love it.
As Product Managers, we often feel like we’re expected to be on-call and available to resolve every little question that comes up, and to provide guidance and insight on a 24-hour, 7-day a week basis. The truth of the matter, however, is that these are expectations that we place on ourselves; these are burdens that we create for ourselves, and that if left unchecked will cause us to collapse upon ourselves, as an overworked, underappreciated, burnt-out husk.
But there are ways that we can create an environment that allows us — in fact, expects us — to take some time for ourselves, to decompress and return to our jobs refreshed and ready to take on the world.
