As the weather changes, we start to see our busy season winding down. Although we have the holiday season around the corner, there’s more time in our schedules to decompress and unpack all of the lessons from the year.
With that said, it can take some adjustment when we’ve spent the past months going a hundred miles a minute. Downtime can suddenly feel confusing — what are we supposed to do with all of this time if not hustling from event to event?
Off-season is the perfect time of year to prioritize self-care and personal development. There is inevitably another busy season around the corner, so take advantage of the slower months to keep yourself motivated and energized for what lies ahead. Here are some simple ways to do a mental reset and ease yourself into off-season.
Knock out your catchup work
If you’re the type to feel antsy when you’re not being productive, rest assured you can still keep busy in the off-season while giving yourself a break. Without a constant stream of events, now is a great time to all of those tasks that have occupied the bottom of your to-do list for months.
Set aside time to get to all of those administrative or marketing projects that you’ve been putting on the backburner. For every item you complete, you will feel immense relief that will provide peace of mind once your next busy season arrives.
Prioritize continued education
You likely don’t have time to sit through webinars or attend a daylong seminar during busy season, but why not take the opportunity to do so now? Continued education is essential for any event professional to grow as an individual and take their company to new heights.
Keep an eye out for interesting blog posts, online training courses, or even an in-person workshop and let yourself become the student again. You’ll likely learn something new and come out of the experience with fresh inspiration.
Seek out inspiration
Speaking of inspiration, why not carve out some time for simple observation? Take a day to explore the streets of your city and look at what storefronts are displaying. Try out the menu at the newest restaurant in town to see what flavors or ingredients are trendy. Grab a coffee and a sidewalk table to observe the fashion runway of the streets.
Since your mind isn’t bogged down with the workload of busy season, you’ll find yourself more prone to noticing colors, patterns, textures, and other design elements that you can turn into ideas and inspiration for next season. Plus, you might find a new favorite shop in the process.
Take care of yourself
If nothing else, use this time to check in with yourself and give your mind and body what it needs. If you feel like you need to sleep for 48 hours to reset, do it! If you’re looking forward to finally getting back to the gym, commit to it! Listen to what your body is saying and nurture it.
We are all human beings before we are business owners, so you need to take care of your human needs first and foremost. You will quickly find that your motivation levels and your work performance will skyrocket when you are in healthy physical and mental condition.
We all approach downtime differently. This off-season, do what feels comfortable and healthy for you and don’t feel guilty for doing it. Whether that’s jetting off to the beach for a week or settling in to revisit your long-neglected Netflix queue, it’s time to put relaxation at the top of your to-do list.
Kylie Carlson is the owner of the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning. With seven locations globally, the academy boasts an internationally recognized accreditation program that brings professional training to wedding planners, designers and stylists.