Hi working moms and dads –

Are you looking forward to a day off this Monday?  And to the start of summer, and some vacation time you’ve got planned?  I know I sure am – and as hardworking moms and dads, I think we can agree that we ALL deserve a break and some slowdown in our crazy-busy schedules.  But in our regular, day-to-day routines, finding downtime is easier said than done.   

So let’s look at a new strategy – beyond waiting for vacation – for you to get more of the break time you deserve.  I call this strategy Microcheating.

Microcheating means taking small, unsanctioned, and unpublicized windows of time off when you would otherwise normally be working.  For example: ducking out half an hour earlier than your colleagues so you can get home for your daughter’s bath; blocking time on your work calendar for a “meeting” and joining her at the baby music class; taking the occasional personal or sick day to spend as full-time parent; and, if your business trip flight lands at 2:00 p.m., giving yourself permission to head straight home and not pay too much attention to your messages until evening.  In other words, Microcheating means tamping down that “always on” mentality, and instead taking some situational flexibility in a discreet, low- drama, self-permissioned way.

Microcheating can be particularly valuable to new parents just transitioning back from leave and figuring out how to make working parenthood sustainable throughout Year One.  But there’s nothing about it that’s specific to babies; any working parent can use it, at any time.  If you’ve gotten that flat, dull feeling that comes from working too much and being disconnected from your teenage kids, or if you’re feeling handcuffed by the endless demands of your job, give Microcheating a try.  End work early next Thursday to do school pickup, or to get a workout in. Sure, technically you’re using a little bit of subterfuge, but only with the end goal of staying fresh and motivated. Think of Microcheating as the personal-time equivalent of filching an extra pen from the workplace supply closet. It’s useful to you, but too tiny an offense for others to care about or even notice.

To make your Microcheats feel most rewarding, be sure to use them for activities that you don’t usually get to do, and—most important— that don’t appear on your task list. Logging off work thirty minutes early to run errands may be productive, but it won’t feel as rewarding as doing something for yourself, or with one of the kids.

What are some of YOUR tricks for finding more breaks and time off?  Email them to us at stories@workparent.com.  Next week, we’ll look at additional ways to get even more of the family time and downtime you deserve. 

In the meantime, check out this recent article in Business Insider, in which I share even more practical advice and encouragement on how to “bring it all together” as a working mom or dad.

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