No. 83

Playing Hooky

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Last night, I decided that I would take a mental health day and play hooky from work today.

I won’t lie: the predicted 58-degree weather might have had something to do with it. But really, I’ve been feeling overworked, over-scheduled, even over archeried (yes, I just made archery into a very Lewis Carroll-like verb).

The next few hours will be spent at an insanely awesome cafe in Alexandria, VA. I’ve been crafting my perfect day for the last five hours: a hot cup of tea followed by some time at the gym, a barre class, a long hot shower, some reading, a delicious breakfast, a meditation session, and a sunny drive filled with good music.

Yeah, I’m totally in the flow right now.

And I can tell you what the rest of my day will bring: more awesomeness. A walk on the National Mall. Lunch at a museum. Light. Joy. Laughter. Freedom.

I’m going to order up days like this more often.

What is your ideal playing hooky day like?

About brandi

Brandi is a digital strategist, website developer, and founder of Alchemy+Aim, a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners elevate their online presence and enhance their digital experience. Her academic background in theatre, philosophy and physics was the perfect foundation for launching her business, where she’s worked with Brené Brown, Laverne Cox, Judy Smith, and other notable thought leaders since 2013. She is an advocate for using technology in ways that humanize, connect and serve people as well as for asking deeper philosophical questions and teaching others to think more broadly about impact when they create, particularly in STEAM fields.

12 thoughts on “Playing Hooky

  1. Sometimes your just need that day. I’m feeling on coming on. I’m changing around my daily routine and it’s taking a toll. Until I get into the swing of things, I just keep feeling frustrated and rushed. I think a few more days and I’ll have it down. I’m feeling a tad overwhelmed but I don’t know why. I think a nice Personal Day sounds good :) Not to mention, the first week of being on the same schedule as Jake is always rough. I got so used to the night shift. I’d see him when he got home in the morning then he’d go to bed and I’d set out on my daily activities. But now he’s working the same shift as me and I see him a lot more, which is great but it also cuts into the time I have to get the things I NEED to done. And we started a new diet/way of eating that requires a lot of cooking/preparing and I find myself so far spending 80% of my morning cooking and cleaning. PHEW I guess I needed to get that out…

    1. Oh, I won’t just take you there — you and I will be regulars!
      And we need to chat soon. I have some big (wonderful) news I want to share with you.

  2. Uhh… I want to play hooky with you!

    I’ll never forget the time when I was a kid that my mom came in my room early one morning to tell me that we were going to skip school + work together that day. I can’t even remember exactly what we did but I’ll never forget that.

    1. Well, we do have our hooky date in June! (So looking forward to that.)

      I really think there’s nothing like changing up the normal routine to inject some freshness into things.

  3. Oh that sounds like it was a wonderful hooky day. I could go for one myself! My ideal day would involve a morning run, possibly a stop in at church to clear my mind, a few hours at a coffee shop (just like you!), and topping it off with a simple dinner and an evening spent with my boys relaxing.

  4. I completely agree, sometimes you need a mental health day! My dream ‘playing hooky’ day would involve a morning yoga class and a sunny afternoon in the window of a coffee shop writing and people-watching.

  5. Well Brandi, my ideal hooky day involves not hitting squash balls! Any day free from coaching feels like a day off, no matter what i’m doing. Although, being the endurance junkie that I am…i’ll invariably go for a long run or ride. Even a hooky day requires me to suffer in some way…I need the rush!

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