My first morning of freedom, I sat bolt upright at 6:30am, sure I was late for a video conference. There was no meeting. It kept happening for weeks, so often it started to piss me off (lol).

If your body hasn’t gotten the memo yet either, here’s what actually helped me in the first weeks, in roughly the order I’d do it.

1. Expect the jolt, then go back to sleep

That first morning I was able to go back to sleep, and I slept until 8. The jolt still showed up now and then in month 3. It’s normal. Roll over.

2. Make day one ceremonious

Mine: coffee leisurely on the patio, a jog to the noon CrossFit class, extra accessory work, jog home, a stir fry lunch with my amazing husband, then a nap. I was exhausted from all the years of being on edge and felt all of it. Taking care of myself slowly felt like a ceremonious way to honor all I’d survived. Plan your own version.

3. Build a few daily basics

• Meditation, for sure.
• Early bedtimes, and sleep as late as you want. I always wake right around sunrise, regardless of season. Seems like nature might want it this way.
• Gym and movement every day. Non-negotiable for me. It makes your body feel good and strengthens it for longevity.
• Home-cooked food and as much time outside as possible.
• Ground before you leave the house. Three deep breaths in the hallway with my eyes closed, feeling the ground under my feet. (More on this in my burnout signs post.)

4. Make three lists that are NOT your old job

Places you want to go. Activities you want to try. Things you want to learn that are decidedly NOT finance (or whatever your thing was). It gave me things to look forward to and a game plan for my time.

5. Don’t turn the pause into a job

I did all of it: checked email, made to-do lists for everything, filled every hour so I wasn’t “wasting time.” If you catch yourself doing that, put one thing down.

6. Let go of the guilt

Spending hours on my health felt important and indulgent at the same time, and I thought I should be figuring out how we’d live without a traditional job ASAP. Then I saw that years of stress had crushed my nervous system. Rest was necessary to heal.

7. Enjoy the quiet phone, and do one act of freedom

The early-morning texts stopped. No one needs your permission to do anything, and YOU no longer need permission from anyone either. That’s even more freeing. One of my first acts of freedom was deleting LinkedIn. It was plainly just no longer who I was.

8. Say yes to something new

Our first week off, we invested in a racehorse with a few friends. We met the coolest people and learned how regional horse racing works. Be open to new ways to learn and meet people.

9. Notice who gets it

Mason was all in, and my dad got it right away. Some friends kept asking why I couldn’t “just stick it out a few more years.” Yikes! Expect a mix.

10. Give it about three months

It took me nearly three months to finally relax my shoulders. By month 3 I felt good, with time to work out often and enjoy a Tuesday on the patio with a good book. Time freedom isn’t always a beach. Most often it’s a regular Tuesday.

A few permission slips (I recommend these with my whole chest)

Slow down and just relax. Savor what it feels like to live and enjoy life instead of performing a role at the office. Get outside. Listen to your body in a new, more loving way than in the career days.

Grab the free guide You’re Not Late for the Meeting for the first 90 days. If you want pages to write in, the $19 Intentional Pause Workbook has thirty days of them.

Congratulations on choosing to live life. 🤎

Related: How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford and Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough