Flick the switch

Even when we've pencilled in time off, unwinding is often easier said than done.

- WORDS by ASHLEIGH AUSTEN

Here's how to actually switch off over the summer break.

The flights are booked, your bags are packed, and the out-of-office reply is on. In theory, the hard part is done. But as you sink into that first morning of holidays, coffee in hand and a free day ahead, your brain whirs into gear: Did I send that last email? Should I check in with the kids, just in case?

It’s a familiar scene because switching off can feel almost Herculean.

“For most of us, our work is so closely linked with our identity,” explains Paula Brough, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Griffith University. “Suddenly being in a different context, losing that identity – you’re on the beach, for example, and it’s very egalitarian. You can’t tell who does or earns what. That loss of identity can be difficult.”

And then there’s habit. “You spend eight to 10 hours a day at work,” she adds. “To suddenly have that back, unstructured, can be difficult at first.”

This is why the start of a break can feel uncomfortable. After months of relentless go-mode, our bodies don’t yet believe it’s safe to slow down. The mind keeps scanning for deadlines, pings and spot fires to put out.

Psychologist Dr Tim Sharp, founder of The Happiness Institute, says our inability to relax is part biology, part conditioning.

“Research clearly shows that rest should not be considered a luxury; we should think of it as essential for emotional regulation, creativity, and long-term wellbeing,” he says. “When we're rested, the brain’s default mode network activates, helping us process emotions and form meaning. Yet, we resist rest because our culture equates busyness with worth.”

It’s a cruel irony: we crave rest, but don’t trust it. We take our laptops ‘just in case’. We check emails from the pool lounge. We schedule sightseeing like a military operation.