We’ve all been guilty of sleeping with our smartphone, responding to an email from a boss during happy hour drinks, or uploading to Instagram when we were supposed to take a weekend to unplug. Despite that, we know we should disconnect — in part because it would actually make us better at our jobs. But how do you make time in your busy schedule? We went to the busiest women across several industries and asked them how they unplugged. If they can do it, so can you — especially if you steal their secrets. Click ahead to find their solutions.
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, CEO, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
BIO: A medical practitioner, policy maker, professor, and nonprofit executive, Lavizzo-Mourey has helmed the Robert Wood Johnson foundation for the past 13 years. Under her leadership, the foundation has researched, evaluated, and implemented programs tackling the most pressing health programs facing the U.S. And, unsurprisingly for a woman at the head of an organization focused on creating a culture of health, Lavizzo-Mourey has found the best way to disconnect is to put your phone down and get moving.
QUOTE: “There is nothing that helps me disconnect and recharge like going for a hike up a mountain. In recent years, my love of hiking has led me up higher and higher slopes — the Green Mountains of Vermont, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Mount Rainier of my Seattle childhood, and in 2012, Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa. I’m not saying that everyone should climb a mountain, but I do think it’s important to leave work behind and take on a challenge once in a while, physically and mentally.”
Alison Brod, Founder and President, AlisonBrodPR
BIO: As president of a 64-person large New York-based public relations firm that represents A-list celebrity, beauty, and lifestyle, including Nordstrom and Drew Barrymore, this executive is pretty much required to be available 24/7. But when she has time off the clock, she makes sure she uses it for quality time with some very special VIPs.
QUOTE: “I love taking my kids to a quirky new food place in New York. We love Sticky Fingers for s’mores French fries, Ramen Burger, 10 Below for ice cream, and Treat House for creative takes on Rice Krispie-style treats. Making time for a snack in the middle of the day isn’t just essential for kids!
Kate Betts, Writer, Editor, and Memoirist
BIO: Betts’ new memoir, My Paris Dream, chronicles her early twenties in the City of Light… and now, she spends the majority of time working and writing in the City that Never Sleeps. As a former editor for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and current contributor for outlets like The New York Times, Travel+Leisure, and The Wall Street Journal, this writer/editor knows that getting off the grid is just as essential to the creative process as being in the center of it all.
QUOTE: “I try to unplug for a few minutes every day, but it’s pretty hard to do in New York City. The place where I feel truly unplugged for one week every year is this island off of Nantucket where I go with my family every August. There are no cars, stores, or even electricity! Only generators and about 20 houses. It’s hard to get to, there’s no cell service, and you have to bring all of your food from Nantucket. But once you’re there, time literally seems to stop, and the days seem to last forever. The kids have total freedom and roam from house to house, playing Capture the Flag, Risk, and fishing at midnight for striped bass. It’s the only time when I feel I can really think clearly.”
Payal Kadakia, CEO, ClassPass
BIO: Since the launch of fitness-studio reservation site ClassPass in 2013, the platform has facilitated 7 million fitness reservations across the globe. How does founder Kadakia keep up with that level of growth? By making sure that every second she’s out of the office, she’s recharging.
QUOTE: “I love dancing with my dance company, Sa Dance Company. Another way I unwind is by running. I use the treadmill and play the same song on repeat — that way, I lose track of time and can zone out. Drinking tea is a quick way to recharge, and I’ll always rely on some Netflix standards like Orphan Black, Scandal, and Nashville.
Maya Baratz, Director/Head of New Products for Disney/ABC Television
BIO: As head of new products, Baratz focuses on generating new to market opportunities for the brand, and was previously running product strategy and development at companies ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Flickr. She also freelances for publications ranging from Fortune to Fast Company. And, as Baratz has discovered, when your job consists of trying and mastering new technology, unplugging becomes even more important.
QUOTE: “When I disconnect, I like to go to the movies or grab a book. There’s something about the edges — the clear beginnings and endings — to books and films, that not only provide a brief respite from the everyday workload, but also serve as a foil to the chaotic, hamster-on-a-wheel endlessness of things like email and meetings.”
Mashama Bailey, Executive Chef and Partner, The Grey
BIO: Since the Savannah, GA-based restaurant opened in 2014, it’s received numerous accolades, including one of Food & Wine’s Restaurants of the Year and landing as one of the semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant Award. Between sourcing local ingredients, updating the menu based on seasons, and overseeing a restaurant renovation, executive chef Bailey has found the best way to unwind is to spend a few seconds out of the kitchen.
QUOTE: “The Grey is 24/7 right now because of how new we are, so I look for opportunities [to unwind] wherever they might be. Falling into my sofa when I get home from work and putting on some mindless reality TV is a favorite of mine. Believe it or not, doing my laundry and having clean clothes is quite rewarding. Has it really come to that? The best thing ever though is a massage. For me that’s heaven.”
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