Since the beginning of 2023, our workplaces have continued to evolve. Hybrid work has become the norm for many of you. For some of you, this is welcome news. You are able to balance work and family commitments more easily and use your former commute time for personal priorities. For others, this is not as welcome news. You yearn for more face time with colleagues to network and build deeper relationships. For some of you, your ”home” is not a welcome or productive workspace. As the lines between workplace and family home continue to blur, the notion of “balance” may feel like a foreign concept.

As leaders, you have a responsibility to guard your time and energy and to establish healthy rhythms so that you have the capacity to love and serve as Jesus did. We know that this remains difficult for many of you. As we enter the summer, we encourage you to make conscious – and challenging – choices in how you are spending the precious months of July and August. For those of you who own businesses or manage people, will you encourage and support your team in taking advantage of our glorious Canadian summer months to relax, recharge, and refresh as well?

Here are some suggestions for you and for your team members:

• Prioritize time with family and close friends. Proactively book time in your calendar for spending time with those you love the most.
• Declare a “No Should’s” July and August. Critically evaluate what you think you NEED to do over the next two months versus what you think you SHOULD do and get rid of the gap. If you can’t identify the things in the gap between the two, enlist the help of someone who knows you well enough to speak truth to you. If this makes you feel anxious, turn the anxiety and the burden of these decisions to the Lord.
• Practice ritualizing your time. If you have lost sight of when you are NOT working, practice ritualizing your time. Be disciplined about turning off your phone and computer for specific periods of time to be fully present for your family and close friends.
• Spend as much time as you can operating within your natural gifts and strengths. Prioritize the things that give you energy. Take some of the things that drain you off your plate for part of the summer and put them back on when you have recharged.
• Read that book that has been waiting to be opened, and listen to the podcasts that you have saved “for later”. If you are like us, you have a pile of unread books on the side of your desk or beside your bed just waiting to be opened. We encourage you to open them! If you have always wanted to “get into podcasts” find a few to try out. Listen to them on a walk or in your car.
• Book some Retreat Days. Book some Sabbath time away from work and family to be alone with the Lord. Continue this by pencilling September 27th into your calendar and registering for our next “Date With God”.
• Do something “just for you”. What do you long to do that you haven’t made time for? “Just Do It”.

If you don’t stay healthy in mind, body and spirit you are not able to be there fully for those that you love and care about. There is nothing selfish about self-care.

It is our prayer for each of you that as summer begins you will carve out time for rest, relaxation and refreshment. We pray that in your “hammock moments” the Holy Spirit will visit you often and will fill your hearts and minds with peace and joy.

While we won’t be spending the whole summer in a hammock reading a book, we will be slowing down the pace of the Workplace Network during July and August. Our communications to you will be less frequent over the summer but please know we will be continuing to plan for the fall and to pray for you. If you have any suggestions for topics or speakers for our fall events we would love for you to reach out to us.