CNBC.COM
After graduating from Michigan State University in 2020, Tia Lee had one thing on her mind: money.
Her pursuit of financial comfort, which was her definition of success at the time, led her to pursue multiple professional roles at once, she says. By late 2023, Lee was juggling three roles simultaneously: California-based technical program manager at Google, freelance website designer and owner and designer of her own clothing line.
Her overworking caught up to her, and she had to redefine her personal view of "success," she says.
"I was getting sick like every other month," says Lee, who uses her middle name professionally and on social media. Her legal surname is Fowlkes. "I would just be bouncing back and forth between California, Michigan, Texas [for work]. But every time I traveled, I would get sick. So I associated my sickness with just traveling."
Following months of ailments, Lee says a doctor suggested to her that stress may be a root cause. "And then I [thought], maybe it might be all the different hats that I'm trying to wear," she says.
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Lee made a plan to take a complete break from the workforce. She dialed back her non-Google work and cut back on expenses, so she could save enough money to quit her job and stop working for a couple years, she says.
"I moved back in with my parents [in Michigan]. I downsized my car," says Lee. "I initially had a Tesla, sold it and got the cheapest Chevrolet I could get ... I even went as far as to negotiate a deal with a private chef so that I could build her website and she would meal prep for me throughout the week. That way, I wasn't spending any money on groceries."
Her experience made her prioritize her health and control over her schedule alongside money and professional reputation, she says. After saving two years' worth of living expenses, she quit her Google job in June and moved to Brooklyn, New York. She spent some time living a slower lifestyle that emphasized health, she says — including eating whole foods, journaling and practicing mindfulness.
Lee doesn't yet have a plan to return to corporate work, she says.
"When I was wearing all of those hats, what success looked like for me was money ... Success, for me, was to be promoted and kind of have that [respect] within the workplace," says Lee. "Now, I have complete autonomy over my health and my time ... I'm spending this time now to really get to know myself and get to know what my next step is going to be."
Why experts say taking a break is important
Overworking can cause frequent illness, a weakened immune system and mental health issues, plus more subtle symptoms like low productivity, increased stress and anxiety and trouble sleeping, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Not everyone who struggles with a demanding work schedule can save up to quit their job — and some people may not want to leave work entirely. You can still benefit from treating your days off like a vacation, happiness researcher Cassie Holmes told the "Everyday Better with Leah Smart" podcast in November.
If you get weekends off, for example, spend them doing the kinds of activities you'd do at a resort, Holmes recommended — get a massage, go dancing, attend a cooking or cocktail-making class, anything that'll help you reset and recharge. If you really need to accomplish household chores during the weekend, compartmentalize them, she advised: Have fun on Saturday and get your work done on Sunday.
Other stress-reduction methods — for little-to-no money — can include lighting your favorite candle, looking at old photos that bring good memories and sitting outside, taking in the sounds of nature, mental health counselor Christine Karper told CNBC Make It in December 2022.
"It can be a two-minute vacation, two or three times throughout the day. [That] is enough to have a statistically significant impact on your overall well being," she said.
Clarification: This story and headline have been updated to reflect that Tia Lee Fowlkes worked three professional roles by the end of 2023, including as a technical program manager at Google and the owner and designer of her own clothing line. It has also been updated to reflect that she says she doesn't currently have a plan to return to corporate work, and to remove references to her medical information at her request.
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