Morning Brew - 🧘🏽 ctfd

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The days of the sad desk salad are behind us, so schedule in a proper lunch break on your calendar and set a notification. And then eat away from your desk. That’s an order! (We do, in fact, make the rules.)

“There’s something [special] about younger Gen Zers who are like, ‘Nah, I’m not answering your call at 8pm; it doesn’t matter.’ Managing other people and trying to be respectful of their space…helped my balance.”

Denetrias “Dee” Charlemagne is cofounder of AVEC, a line of premium, better-for-you mixers made in Brooklyn. The native New Yorker was once an ad exec with all kinds of experience under her belt, from traditional and digital marketing to media, branded content, and publishing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kickoff: “I’ve started something new, which is taking 10 minutes to do whatever I feel like when I wake up. If I feel like immediately getting a coffee or lying in bed for a moment, I give myself 10 minutes of calibrating. Not in a productive way, just in a ‘What do I feel like doing’ way.”

The worry tree: “I give myself permission to not get it all done. I’ll say, ‘It’s just not possible’ instead of ‘I’ll grind it out.’…Someone gave me a worry tree recently, which is an interesting tool. The idea is to identify the worry and make a plan to solve it or let it go. But [if] it can’t get done right now, there’s no use worrying about it.”

CTFD: “I have a really good friend who I call. We have these tattoos on our arms that say ‘CTFD,’ which is ‘calm the f*ck down.’ And then I have a meditation chant on the other arm…These little triggers [remind me] to try and take a 10-minute pause.”

Setting light boundaries: “I’m [trying to] take a 10-minute walk or stop for lunch and not [think], ‘Oh, I'm just going to eat and work.’ Ten minutes to me seems like the most manageable amount of time. When people [say], ‘Take half an hour,’ I’m like, ‘Whoa, no.’ You can do anything for 10 minutes, right? The world’s not going to end. So it’s fine.”

Finding balance: “You get guilty talking to other founders who [say], ‘I never take a break.’ But now I feel like a lot of people prioritize breaks and days without meetings. I’m still trying to figure out the balance, but relying on people around me [for accountability] is key. ”

Room for improvement: “I used to meditate and do yoga, but during the pandemic, my yoga studio shut down. Since then, I’ve been grappling with recreating that routine and [the feeling of] going into a studio that smells like sage. There’s something about changing space that’s important to me, and I don’t have that physical space [right now]. So I’m trying to figure out how to create it internally.”—MW

Your punch list for when you punch out.

Read: This recent Vanity Fair deep dive into Love Island examines the sex, high camp, and tragedy (host Caroline Flack recently became the third cast member to die by suicide) of the wildly popular reality TV show. Even if you don’t watch, this is a must-read about fame and responsibility.

Listen: Though that little voice in your head may object, it’s never too late to start over. Whether you’re looking to change careers or pick up a new hobby, check out what novelist Angie Kim and human development professor Hannes Schwandt have to say about the science behind life resets on their How To Start Over podcast.

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Burning questions of our time.

Your thoughts on the saving grace of sabbaticals:

I did take a sabbatical. My work offers one every five years of employment. I spent three weeks in Europe this past fall and loved the time away from everything. It was absolutely horrendous going back to work though. Getting paid to not work seemed so much better than working. Can’t wait for my next one!—Tara

I'm a Presbyterian minister, and I have been at my church for almost 18 years. In my presbytery, churches are required to provide a paid three-month sabbatical every seventh year of service. I’ve had two sabbaticals so far. They are more than three month vacations. They are an intentional break from ministry (pastors are essentially on call 24/7/365), but also allow us to engage in intentional learning. We also have to leave with a sabbatical plan and return with a report on how we spent the sabbatical. And yes, sabbaticals have made a difference for my presbytery. Prior to implementing our sabbatical policy, the average tenure for a pastor in my presbytery was five years. Now it is eight to 10 years.—John

The time-sensitive Rolex:

It’s like a scene from Mad Men: Your boss calls you into their office, congratulates you on your 10-year anniversary, and hands you a gift-wrapped Rolex worth approximately $8,000. Though the tradition seems old-school, it’s still pretty common in many industries like advertising to recognize employee loyalty and incentivize the younger generation to climb that ladder. But is it the best way to show employee appreciation? Do you want to be noticed for your “loyalty” or for your good work? Hit Reply and let us know in the inbox!—SS