fix: take an idea away*
I work in tech and my project manager and I have been chatting through a really tough problem at work for the last few weeks, and we haven't figured out a solution.
Yesterday my PM said “Well xmas holidays are coming up, just keep this top of mind for your week off and I'm sure you'll come back to a decent answer. Sometimes you need to step away from the screen to let it digest.”
I said “You're right, I do a walk during the day to do that, but I will not be thinking about work during my week off with my family, sorry.”
She laughed and said “Really? Okay, no pressure. I wish I could do that, I just love my job so much.”
I said “Thinking and stressing about work is almost as much work as work itself. By having this idea front of mind for my week off, I will still be mentally checked in to my work, and come back not relaxed. It's healthy to set the boundary of purposefully shutting off your brain.”
She didn't care, which is fine, she did tell me to watch who I say that to (for political reasons) but man that's bleak.
A week off with family and we consciously choose to be deep in thought about how to improve our outgoing marketing e-mail system?
Happy holidays!