I used to be a person who was opposed to taking time off. Part of me was afraid that management would think I was a slacker for taking a mental health day. Or breaks in general. I was the employee who would literally work 9 hours straight. No fifteen minute rests in the morning or afternoon. No lunch breaks. Part of me was afraid that I would waste paid time off on a vacation on the off-chance I might get really sick and need that PTO. Luckily, my employer provides flu shots free of charge each Autumn, and I always take advantage of the perk. I’ve had two blitzkrieg illnesses since I started working for my current employer, and when I say “blitzkrieg illnesses”, I mean I become violently ill for 24 hours, but I’m back to work the next day feeling better than ever (albeit a little hungrier than usual). But for the past two months, work has been dreadfully slow. And, while I find that I’m incredibly bored, I also find that I’m just feeling unmotivated and really worn out. So, I put in a time off request, and I don’t think I could have planned for a better weekend. Usually, my three-day weekends are a total waste. I usually lounge around in pajamas all day and play video games for more hours than I care to admit. But that was not this weekend. Maybe it was the weather that made me feel so motivated because goodness knows it was pretty much perfect. But, this was perhaps the most productive weekend ever, and somehow it feels…refreshing.