Taking a Break
I am currently taking a break and time out from the office and enjoying Christmas in the warmer climates of Tenerife. Taking time out is something i haven’t traditionally been very good at, but once you do it is easy to see the benefits.
I think they call it the Productivity Paradox
In a culture that rewards busyness, taking a break from work can feel almost irresponsible. “Inbox zero” becomes the goal, back-to-back meetings become normal, annual leave gets postponed “until things calm down” (spoiler: they rarely do). But here’s the paradox many professionals eventually discover the hard way: constant work doesn’t lead to better performance it leads to diminishing returns.
In a world without taking significant breaks; decision fatigue increases, creativity drops, small problems start to feel overwhelming and you risk becoming reactive instead of strategic.
In knowledge-based roles especially, your value doesn’t come from hours logged it comes from clarity of thinking, judgment, and perspective. Those are the first things to suffer when you never switch off.
This break has been a very good reminder to myself of the productivity paradox and I will be returning with real clarity in my thinking on what 2026 looks like but also what the future AB Accountancy looks like and I am keen to put it into practice.