The Bacon Phenomenon: Learning to Embrace Downtime
Reflection and downtime did not always come easy for me. My years in the corporate world were fast-paced, and I thrived on the energy. I loved the feeling of being relevant and driving the change I wanted to see in my area of influence.
However, that meant my “off days” and vacations were often spent catching up on personal tasks. If I was not visiting family (whom I rarely saw while working), I was spring cleaning—because when else would I find the time? I vividly recall waking up on those rare off days with a long to-do list, only to carry over unfinished tasks into the next break.
Then came a career transition that had me working from home. What I initially thought would offer balance soon turned into working around the clock. Eventually, I hit burnout. This did not happen overnight—I saw the signs: memory loss, fatigue, persistent body aches, and even a cough that lasted two months. Slowly but surely, my creativity, motivation, and inspiration slipped away, and I ground to a halt.
Something had to change. And it did.
I started with a full medical check-up. Apart from low Vitamin D (no surprise, since I was always indoors) and borderline cholesterol, I was doing fairly well. The doctor emphasized that my diet and exercise routine needed an overhaul, so I decided to make intentional changes.
I committed to a nutrition-rich lifestyle. I committed to exercise. And, perhaps most challenging of all, I committed to downtime. I went a step further – for accountability purposes mostly– and incorporated these onto my vision board.
At first, sitting still felt impossible, so I made a list of the things I love—and I started with those. One of them was bacon. Anyone who knows me knows I love bacon! So, I embraced it. Bacon for breakfast became my signal that holiday mode was activated, and downtime was happening.
I also deepened my prayer life, adjusting my day around moments of reflection and growing my faith.
Do I have downtime mastered? Not quite. But being present and consistent is helping me get better. I am learning to prioritize the things I enjoy and find balance, which is how the Bacon Phenomenon was born.