I like the author’s writing style; it’s rather easy to read and understand. There is some emphasis about having boundaries to achieve work-life balance, which I agree with.

However I struggle with the proposed solution as it may not be feasible to everyone, and that’s okay too!

The steps are: simplify, delegate and automate. This book is not for you if you cannot implement these steps.

As someone with a very pressured job, I downloaded this book from Net Galley out of interest but not expecting anything life changing. However some of the tips have really helped me - for example, the simplify step shocked me with just how many meetings I’m expected to attend but actually have little input to or actions from and totally suck my time. I feel much more in control since reading Fab’s book and would recommend it to anyone who has to juggle multiple demands on their time, meetings and trying to get the actual work complete amongst it all!

Thanks to Watkins Publishing, Fab Giovanetti, and NetGalley for the ARC; this is my unbiased review.

Reclaim Your Time Off by Fab Giovanetti
Watkins Publishing, 11th May 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Description:
In the current working landscape, we work really hard. On average, over 60 hours per week. "Burnout" is a ubiquitous buzzword. Being overly busy is a badge of honour. This book uncovers how "busyness" can impact negatively on creativity. We need to relearn the art of being bored. Down time is an essential part of productivity and a vital component in good health and wellbeing. This book shows us how to protect it.

Review:
I found this a really difficult book to review, as I don't think the principles can be applied to everyone in all job roles.

Everything in the book makes sense, and Fab Giovanetti's three-step approach is fantastic, but what if your occupation doesn't allow you to 'simplify, delegate, automate'? If you have deadlines to meet, are self-employed or lone work, need to follow a strict process, or have more than one job due to financial or other pressures, this book isn't going to offer up any solutions to avoiding burnout. Unless you're freelance or an entrepreneur who can afford to have downtime, I don't think the answers you seek will be found in these pages, unfortunately.

For the people who are able to follow the steps to reclaim their time off, I couldn't be happier. It would just be great if more people could take advantage of the advice given.

#BookReview #ReclaimYourTimeOff #FabGiovanetti #NetGalley #Bookstagram

Constructive and helpful tips to structure your time and not overwork
Insightful and informative especially given the pandemic year of being glued to our screens

I enjoyed this for what it was but also felt like it had a specific reader in mind, which limits its accessibility to a wider range of readers. If you have the flexibility, the ideas in this book could be really helpful

I wasn’t sure how much I would get from this book as I am in a profession that has largely set hours. I was wrong! There are aspects of my job that can be adapted to suit me and I have a list of changes I want to make. Even just naming ghost tasks is helpful (as I am very guilty of letting these derail me).

Straight-forward, with practical steps you can take, as well as being fun and effective. So timely with the blurring of work-life balance when you're working from home.

Really loved this title. It had some excellent ideas and theories about what our time off means and there are definitely things I will be implementing in my life since reading this book.

An important reminder, especially after a year of working from home, of how essential it is to separate work and play. Giovanetti's book is a rousing (but also practical!_ guide of how to carve more free time back into your life - as well as how to make the best of the time when you're at your desk, as well as your time away from it.

I did not see a lot of value in this book. This book is mainly geared toward people who actually have an amount of control in their schedule, mostly entrepreneurs or freelancers. This isn’t applicable to a very large selection of the general public.

In summary, the book says to have boundaries then spends half of the book trying to convince you about how valuable and necessary it is to do so. If you’re already reading this book, it’s safe to say you probably don’t need to be convinced.

I think the book would have had more value if more time and energy was focused on applicable strategies for more people. I mean, offering advice to try only checking your email twice a day? Have you ever worked in any office where that was realistic?

Good tips and inspirational and motivational words to get you to work on the work-life balance so desperately needed, now more than ever.

Reclaim Your Time Off is a structured guide to improving focus when working and establishing clear boundaries between work and homelife. Whilst there are references made to changes resulting from Covid, much of the content would be of interest to anyone working from home or finding work encroaching at home. Reflective exercises and journalling are encouraged and links to the author's website appear throughout. Although the tone veers towards self-congratulatory in places, I would still recommend this title to anyone at the end of their tether or experiencing burnout as there are some helpful tips and suggestions.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a recovering workaholic, I found this book really helpful. I used to work every weekend and really only stopped my 'obligation' to work once COVID-19 hit, and I decided that if I was going to be working from home, I needed to somehow benchmark weekends. My work life balance totally changed, but I still have a way to go. I love this book because the strategies are ones which are able to be introduced in your life, and it's an inspirational read. For those struggling with work/ life balance, I highly recommend this.

Containing many valuable tips for every situation, this book has arrived at a perfect time as the working from home dream becomes a forced reality for many and we collectively adapt to the new normal of the coronavirus pandemic, with increasingly blurred boundaries between work and home life. This book helps us reframe our mindset, offering practical advice on achieving the most effective and efficient use of our time, whilst enabling us to switch off from work at the end of the day and make the most of our time off.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly feel like this book could not have come to me at a better time - working from home is so hard and I’ve really found myself overworking, struggling to shut down.

Whilst all tips and tricks won’t be applicable for all readers, I definitely think there is something to be gained for everyone.

I think this would be a good paperback to have to refer back to, and enjoyed how it was laid out!

This book is so relevant for those of us office workers now based at home. The temptation to be available and “on” all the time is high. Tips on how to address this and maintain a balance in your life are helpful and well considered. Not all suggestions will be relevant to all people but everyone can get something out of the book. .

This is a book that popped up on the @NetGalley homepage and spoke to me straight away. I'd been trying to read more non-fiction for a while and the subject matter of this one - realising that being busy 24/7 isn't always the measure of a successful (or happy) life - appealed to me.

Reclaim Your Time Off explores our current working habits and the way we've come to normalise being constantly busy and stressed as 'just the way things are' - and suggest an alternative way of organising our lives so that they're not constantly revolving around work, encouraging us to slow down and really take the time to rest, recharge, and savour the present moment.

I loved this book and it resonated with me on many levels. A quote that stuck out for me was

"Our nervous systems are not built to handle being constantly in fight-or-flight mode, and while the rush of "achievement" or busyness can appear appealing at first, it's often peace and calmness that we really crave." This is very true for me as someone who feels easily overwhelmed and flappy if I've got too much on my plate. I enjoy days where I've got nothing to do except sit, read or watch a film, and potter around.

The book is more geared towards office based jobs as many of the tools can't really be implemented if you worked in retail, or were a nurse or doctor on a busy hospital ward. Some parts didn't really apply to me in terms of overworking, as I always take an hour for lunch away from my desk and don't have access to work emails outside of working hours, so do find it easy to "switch off" in that regard, but otherwise the advice and lessons detailed in this book can be useful for anyone. Even outside of work, we can all take something from the overall message of this book to not define our self worth by our achievements or whether we've had a productive day. Our worth is constant and while hustle culture has its merits (if you don't work for it you won't get it) the benefits of taking a step back and resetting should also be acknowledged.

I'd give this 4 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Having recently been promoted at work this book came at the perfect time!

I really liked the quotes and references from other books and research, it showed that this is an area that Fab has done some serious legwork and background reading into, taking the best bits along with her own experience and putting a modern spin on things.

There’s some great tips in here too. I was pleased to see that some of the changes I’ve made as I adjusted to working from home are things Fab recommended, and also tried some new things out, like the screen time function on my iPhone - this was genius and really stopped me from getting so easily distracted!

I really enjoyed Fab’s writing style, so much so I have ordered her other book ‘Make An Impact’; I felt as though she were a friend talking to me directly. Fab by name, fab by nature!

This book could not have come at a better time, after 14 months of working from home I am burnt out! The line between working and resting have blurred and my evenings have now become time for catching up on work with a glass of wine in hand.

Fab's book has really made me appreciate the importance of switching off and shown me that by doing this I'm actually more productive when I am at work. Even if you're not working from home or self-employed this book will help you! Couldn't recommend this enough, complete game-changer!

I love this book. Fab is, quite frankly, fab! I'm definitely a workaholic, I feel guilty whenever I take time off and really struggle to switch off, and for some reason believe that because I'm working remotely I should be available 24/7, so when I saw that this book was being published on my birthday I saw it as a sign and decided I must read it! And I'm so glad I did.

Fab Giovanetti, a recovering workaholic, talks us through a number of scenarios and actions to help us address our work-life balance, and I found I really related to what she was saying. From writing out your top values and what an ideal day looks like to working out why you worry about taking time off, Giovanetti covers everything to help you cope with this weird 'new normal' post-pandemic flexible working.

Remote working is heavy. I've never worked so hard, I've never taken so much on and I've never found it so hard to take some time for me, but after reading this I know I can do better and be better. I'm 100% going to be using these action steps going forward and, honestly, I was sold from the moment Giovanetti told me to buy a new notebook.

Thank you Fab (and Watkins Publishing!), I can't wait to take some of these learnings forward and reclaim my time off!

(I also want to say I really love the cover, it's bold and striking and definitely grabbed my attention!)