I'm done with vacations
how I'm approaching "work-life balance" in 2026
Let me start by saying that I just came back from an island in Spain, where I’ve spent time with my family and I’m very grateful for that. I love my family with all my heart and I don’t take them for granted.
It’s the second time I’ve been “on vacation” as a self-employed person.
And this time, there are a few realisations I’ve had that I’ll be taking with me into the new year (happy 2026!) and my future travels. And I wanna share them with you.
You may think I’m mad, that I’m well on my way to burnout, and I guess we shall see. But I feel far from that - I feel excited, joyful and hopeful.
Let me explain:
Here’s what a typical “vacation” was for me when I worked full-time:
sleeping at least 9 hours per night or well into midday
spending time with family, walking around, hiking, swimming, exploring
not having a schedule, or only a very loose one like “i guess we could head to the beach later”
eating whatever whenever
playing board games
taking a break from doing things for my full-time job (wasn’t always possible as a solo marketer, but mostly).
doing some side-project work (and receiving a few side eyes as I should be “resting”), because vacation is the only time I could devote myself to it
feeling anxious about mountains of work I’ll need to catch up on once I’m back
While this may not sound that bad, and it definitely wasn’t bad at all, this is what my last vacation looked like, just without having a full time job to get back to or take a vacation from.
It made me reflect and realise:
Now that I work for myself and enjoy what I do 99.9% of the time, I DON’T really need to “take 2 weeks off work” to recharge.
Because what I do now full-time as a creator & solopreneur are the things I used to do for fun / on the side. During evenings, breaks, vacations.
Would you need time off from your hobbies?
Would you need time off from painting or playing board games?
Would you need time off from watching movies?
Probably not. Because hobbies are fun & light-hearted. And while some days being self-employed feels far from it (trust me haha), I want life to feel like it’s easy and fun, not an overwhelming drag. Because I choose how I live it, for the most part and I choose what I focus on.
It doesn’t feel like I’m forcing myself. Working on my projects, the course, planning workshops, writing client feedback… is something I look forward to.
But when I’m on vacation, I feel like I SHOULD rest. Everyone tells me to.
I SHOULD take a break. I SHOULD NOT work at all. On anything.
So what ends up happening is that I don’t work on projects I enjoy to do what I feel like I should. But I definitely don’t feel better if this goes on for too long.
You may think I’m crazy. A workaholic. Completely off the rails.
Maybe I am? I feel like I’ve built a life that’s (while being far from perfect) is very enjoyable and full of wholesome, interesting moments scattered throughout my week.
Travel is a part of that routine. Seeing friends and family is a part of it. Trying new workouts and meeting new people is a part of it. Working is a part of it.
Maybe I’m lucky that I enjoy what I do now, as it wasn’t always like this. I used to definitely need vacations from work, replying to Slack messages, emails… I think when you’re working for someone else, it’s inevitable you’ll need a break from time to time. A full stop break. A proper vacation.
But to illustrate my point, let’s take this substack for example. I enjoy writing it. It doesn’t pay, it’s something I decided to do for fun to document my journey.
Is it work? Is it fun?
Is it socially acceptable to “work” on this while on vacation? I think so.
So, here are my new “rules” for upcoming travels.
I will treat vacations more like workations with a few days “off” so I can be present with family / friends fully. In my experience 2-3 days are plenty for me to feel more creative, inspired, take a day trip without my laptop and feel motivated to work on my projects again (should I need a break).
Ahead of time, me and my travel partners decide when these days will be. On these days we actually do things together (or I do something I wanna do alone) with intention and have a plan aka we make use of these days and don’t just sit in separate rooms on our phones waiting for when we’ll go somewhere… maybe (that’s not spending time together, the “waiting around and scrollint”).
I surely love some sort of schedule, even on vacation, I know not everyone does and that’s alright :)
On the other days, I’ll follow my regular schedule, just like I would at home. I may have a meeting with a client or brand if something is booked. I may reply to messages. Create content. Work on my workshops, templates and courses. I treat these days as my workation days, if you will:
Morning routine, work block, break, work block, free time, evening routine + workout.
Just like on any other day, the goal isn’t to work for 12 hours (though some days I do when I feel like it). The goal is to have some stability, get some things done every day and have some flexibility, too.
The free time block allows for some serendipity. Work won’t take up all day, especially if I’m in a new place and wanna explore. That’s totally fine, but at least I got some work done first and can truly disconnect.
Most of the deep work (about 3-4 hours) is in the morning, so in the afternoon I can do what makes sense or follow other people’s plans.
This way, I’m doing both - working towards my goals, working on projects I enjoy, (even on “vacation”) AND I’m spending time with family / friends.
Because this solopreneurship thing is a lifestyle.
And I really need to remind myself it’s my life and I am allowed the rules. I should do what I feel like doing more. I have free will (why is this so hard to digest?).
I can work from wherever I like. Not working at all when I’m travelling would mean I can travel much less than I would otherwise.
I need to learn to combine working and following my routines from anywhere I am. I’m sure it will take some getting used to, some trial and error, but I’ll get there eventually.
The next trip I’ve planned is Portugal next month – so I’ll put this idea to the test then:)
This is the life I always dreamed of, so now it’s up to me to make most of it.
Have you faced these thoughts before or am I crazy?
May 2026 be one of your most fulfilling years to date! ☀️
P.S. Tenerife is truly stunning, I’m so happy I got to spend some time in nature 🫶
Until next time,
Maria