November 22, 2025

Read Time - 4 minutes

”Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

~ Anne Lamott

Last week, someone asked what I was most looking forward to over the Thanksgiving break.

I surprised myself with the answer: silence.

Not the absence of people — just the absence of the constant pull toward “what’s next.”

The itch to squeeze in “one more task.” The reflex to open my inbox before I’ve even had coffee.

So I want to offer you a challenge for this week of Thanksgiving — one that will feel harder than it sounds:

Turn off your phone. Stay out of your email. And Disconnect. Just for this week.

I can already hear the inner protest:

“I can’t.”

“This is my chance to catch up.”

“I should use this time to get ahead.”

Many academic leaders stay plugged in because it’s become their default rhythm — it’s a routine that feels safe. It feels responsible. It feels productive.

But I can tell you that your work isn’t going anywhere.

It will still be there when you return.

However the rest you keep postponing might not.

Leadership Takeaway

If this challenge feels nowhere close to possible, I’d invite you to consider a reframe:

Stepping away isn’t a luxury. It’s about discipline.

Leaders need time to think, to step back, to zoom out.

And that kind of clarity doesn’t come from squeezing in one more email check.

I know this not just from coaching academic leaders — but because it’s work I’ve had to do myself.

Years of performing at a high level can condition us to believe that being good means being productive… that being committed means being reachable… that leadership equals availability.

And it took me a long time to understand that when you never interrupt that rhythm of constant responsiveness, you slowly lose the spaciousness that healthy leadership requires.

Rest is not the opposite of responsibility.

Rest is what allows you to return with better judgment, clearer thinking, and a steadier presence.

Turning off your phone for a week isn’t about abandoning your people.

It’s about reclaiming the mental margin you need to lead them well.

That a break isn’t a pause from the work. It is part of the work.

Practical Guidance

Here are a few simple practices that can help you step back without feeling like you’re abandoning your responsibilities:

1. Set a clear “I’m away” boundary (and keep it short).

You don’t need a novel.

One sentence is enough: “I’ll be offline this week and will respond when I return.”

2. Choose one anchor activity that pulls you out of work mode.

A long walk.

A book you’ve been meaning to read.

A lingering dinner with family.

Pick something that reminds your body and mind that it’s allowed to slow down.

3. Notice the urge to check your phone — and pause instead of reacting.

Don’t judge the reflex.

Just recognize it: “There’s that habit again.”

Awareness interrupts the automatic pattern.

4. Take ten minutes to empty your brain before you step away.

Make a quick list of every task, loose end, or to-do item floating around in your mind — especially the ones that keep you from being fully present.

Then write a short re-entry plan for after the break:

• What’s the first thing you’ll check?

• Which decisions will need you?

• What can wait until later?

Clearing mental space now makes it easier to rest later.

Try This Before Friday

Set a five-minute timer and make a quick list of the tasks, responsibilities, and loose ends taking up the most mental space right now.

You don’t have to finish them — just name them.

Sometimes naming the load is the first step in putting it down so you can actually rest.

Bottom Line

Here’s the question - How can you protect the energy and clarity that makes you an effective leader?

Stepping away can help you remember that your value isn’t tied to constant activity — and it can also show your colleagues that healthy leadership includes rest, boundaries, and perspective.

The truth is, your team takes their cues from you.

When you model balance, you give the people around you permission to pursue it themselves.

When you unplug, you signal that it’s safe for others to do the same.

And when you disconnect, even briefly, you gain something only you can bring back:

a clearer perspective, a more grounded presence, and the kind of reflection that strengthens your leadership far more than another hour in your inbox ever will.

And maybe most importantly, stepping back helps you reconnect with the parts of yourself that leadership often pushes to the edges — your creativity, your curiosity, and your humanity.

So here’s my reissued challenge:

Take this Thanksgiving week to unplug from work.

Close the inbox.

Turn off the phone.

Give yourself the time you give so freely to everyone else.

And if you can do this when campus is already closed and the demands are quieter, you may find it gets a little easier to hold that boundary on a weekend…or after 5 p.m…or whenever you need it most.

Your colleagues need that example.

And your leadership will be sharper — and more human — because of it.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading.

Enjoy some time off and I’ll see you next Saturday!

P.S. If unplugging — even for a few days when campus is closed — still feels impossible, that’s usually a sign of something deeper:

• Your systems aren’t supporting you.

• Your team isn’t empowered to make decisions without you.

• Your boundaries have eroded under the weight of constant expectations.

• Your role has expanded without the structure to match it.

If you want help building systems that give you back time, clarity, and capacity, I’d be glad to work with you. Let’s talk: https://meet.kevinsanders.me/intro/meeting

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:​

1.) Get the free guide: Your First 14 Days. A clear, practical playbook for new leaders navigating their first two weeks in higher ed leadership. 2.) Coaching for New Academic Leaders: A focused 1:1 coaching experience for higher ed professionals who want to lead with clarity, build smarter systems, and stay centered on what matters most. I work with a limited number of clients each quarter to provide highly personalized, strategic support. Send me a message.

3.) Professional Development Workshops: Interactive sessions for faculty, staff, and leadership teams that help reduce conflict, streamline decision-making, and shift culture with smart systems. Virtual and in-person options available. Sessions tailored to your campus needs.