Why I Won't Be on LinkedIn Next Week
I'll be honest with you: I’m a habitual check-in’er, even on days off. No matter how short, long, close, far, same time zone or a difference of literal night and day.
I'm not doing that this time.
Next week, I'm on vacation. And I mean actually on vacation — not "vacation" where I'm still watching my notifications, still firing off quick replies, still mentally half-present at whatever dinner table or beach I'm sitting at. I'm talking phone-down, out-of-office-on, fully-checked-out vacation.
And I wanted to say so directly, because I think we need to talk about why that feels radical.
We've Made "Always On" a Badge of Honor
Somewhere along the way, busyness became a status symbol. We compete over who slept less, who answered emails fastest, who took the fewest days off. LinkedIn, in particular, has a way of reinforcing this — a constant scroll of hustle culture content, productivity hacks, and people broadcasting how hard they're working at all hours.
I've been guilty of it too. Posting on a Sunday. Responding to messages at 10pm. Sharing my personal cell number. Treating every moment of downtime as an opportunity to "stay visible."
But here's what I've learned from years of working with clients on performance and fulfillment: rest isn't the opposite of productivity. It's a prerequisite for it.
What Unplugging Actually Does
When we don't give ourselves genuine downtime, we're not saving time — we're borrowing against our future selves. Creativity, clear thinking, emotional regulation, strategic perspective — all of these degrade without rest. The version of you grinding through vacation is not your best thinking self.
Taking a real break means:
Your brain gets to consolidate. Some of the best ideas come after you step away from a problem, not while you're staring at it.
Your relationships get your actual attention. Presence matters. Being physically there while mentally at your inbox is a half-measure that shortchanges the people who matter most.
You return with something to give. Not depleted. Not resentful. Actually refueled.
This isn't just feel-good advice. It's the sustainable high-performance model — and it's one too few of us practice.
The Guilt Is Real, and It's Worth Examining
If you've ever felt guilty taking time off, you're not alone. That guilt often isn't really about productivity — it's about worth. We've tied our value to our output so tightly that stopping feels like disappearing.
But your worth isn't your response time. Your value doesn't diminish because you took a week to be a human being.
And if the culture of your workplace doesn't reflect that? That's worth paying attention to.
What I'm Doing Instead
Next week, I'm not posting, not checking messages, not "just staying on top of things." I'm spending time with people I love in a place I've been looking forward to. I'm going to read something that has nothing to do with work. I'm going to have conversations that aren't networking opportunities.
I'll be back the following week — rested, clear-headed, and genuinely glad to be here.
If you need me before then, my out-of-office has you covered.
And if you're reading this and quietly wishing you could do the same — maybe that's worth listening to.
I work with leaders and professionals on building sustainable performance and a life that actually works. If this resonated, I'd love to connect when I'm back.
