#WorkMomSays taking your Paid Time Off (PTO) is essential for personal and professional well-being. In this episode, Lori Jo Vest addresses the myth that the office can’t survive without you and emphasizes the importance of stepping away from work. She shares her journey of overcoming the fear of taking time off and highlights the benefits of truly disconnecting. Discover how using your PTO can enhance creativity, improve health, and prevent burnout. Learn effective strategies for planning and taking your time off without anxiety, and understand why making PTO a non-negotiable part of your work life is a strategic decision for a balanced and fulfilling career. Themes discussed in this episode The necessity of using PTO for personal health and productivity Overcoming the fear of taking time off in a demanding work culture The benefits of taking breaks for creativity and mental clarity Strategies to successfully unplug and make the most out of your PTO Episode Highlights Time-stamped inflection points from the show 00:40 – Lori reveals her own struggles with not taking PTO despite encouraging her team to do so. 01:57 – Lori’s personal experience of finally taking time off after five years and realizing the sky didn’t fall. 04:41 – Reasons professionals avoid PTO and why these fears are largely unfounded. 06:50 – A reality check: You are valuable but not irreplaceable, and that’s okay. 10:31 – Strategies for using PTO effectively without anxiety, including setting boundaries and planning ahead. Top Quotes 04:13 – “PTO should be non-negotiable, and there’s a reason for it.” 07:03 – “You are valuable to your employer, but you are not irreplaceable, and that’s okay.” 08:03 – “When you don’t take that time off, you’re essentially gifting your employer free labor.” 13:06 – “Taking your paid time off is not slacking. It’s strategic.” Transcript 00:12Hello, I’m Lori Jo Vest. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of “Work Mom Says: Don’t Be an Idiot!” This episode is for young professionals who think the office will crumble down without them. We’re calling it, “You’re Not That Essential. Use Your PTO.” PTO stands for paid time off, and if you have it, you need to take it. 00:40And I’ll tell you what I think is really funny. I need this reminder just as much. I was talking to my team about what the next episode should be about, and what came up was “use your time off.” My team that works for me at the digital ad agency that I run with my husband, they know how important I think it is for them to take their PTO. But when it came to me, when they brought that up, I actually said that would mean I’m a hypocrite because I don’t take my time off. Now, my time off isn’t paid as the owner. It’s a whole different thing going on here. 01:17But what I discovered is that my own fears of being away from my desk or not plugged into our company and what was happening and how I could contribute—I had a lot of fear around that. What if something fell apart while I was gone? But the reality is, it’s really funny, is that I could take a week off, and because we work at home and weren’t going anywhere, if I needed to step in and take care of something, it takes five minutes. It’s not a big deal. 01:57So before recording this episode, I forced myself to take my five days off. I hadn’t taken five days off in about five years. So how did I do? I did okay. I worked probably most days for just a few minutes, checking in on emails, answering questions, making sure things were flowing like they should, right? I probably shouldn’t have even done that, but baby steps, baby steps. 02:29And as the owner of a company,