EPIC days

My favorite perk at #vmware are the EPIC days – 4 days per year (plus the time between Christmas and New Year’s) when the company shuts down.

EPIC days are so valuable because as everyone is off, you get to really unwind. No emails piling up in your inbox, no meetings that you missed.

Often, especially also as #leaders and in this new #hybrid world of flex working, the boundaries between work and leisure time become fuzzy. You send just another quick reply before going to bed or as you are about to head out for dinner. While it’s super convient to fit work around your life, it can also create a lot of stress – both for yourself and your teams. And if you are working with people at the other side of the world your inbox fills up while you are sleep anyways.

I decided to use the EPIC day on Friday for some dedicated me time: I went rowing in the morning without the time pressure of having to be back at my desk at 9am, then I visited a friend and her new baby in Basel, called my grandma from the car and spent the afternoon in a day spa. And last but not least, we packed up the car in the evening to be able to have a leisure start, waking up on Saturday in the mountains.

Not every day can be an EPIC day, but you can make every day epic. Both my taking small moments for yourself and also sparing a thought how others might perceive a 10pm email 😉