Imagine spending 90,000 hours of your life on something you might regret. That's how much time we dedicate to work over the course of our lives. What if you reached the end and realised it wasn't worth it?
Meet Colin. He lived for work – emails at midnight, constant problem-solving, never truly switching off. Then, he had a heart attack. Don't worry, he survived, but with a stark realisation: the career climb, the stress, the endless hours… it wasn't worth the cost. He wished he'd taken more time for life.
"Take a Day Off" is your wake-up call.
Stop living for work and start working to live. This book is a raw collection of stories, poems, and insights that challenge our work-obsessed culture.
You'll meet Malcolm, whose seagull encounter taught him a karmic lesson; The Slipping Man, rescued by a kind stranger; and Prickles the Cat, a master of neighbourly mischief.
Dive into poems about communication and the enigmatic "Manager," and discover practical advice to build a fulfilling work life.
Each chapter is accompanied by two unique posters – one designed, one gritty "urban graffiti" – reflecting the dual nature of our work experiences.
Don't let your life be defined by "what ifs." Start taking your days off, and reclaim your time.
Buy the zine
Take a Day off is available in both print (UK only) and digital (Global)
Photos from the book
Chapters in the book
Chapters
- Take a day off
- Identifying problems doesn’t get rid of them
- Bland
- Communication Expert
- Show, don’t tell
- No mask can be worn forever
- We all fall
- Round and Round
- Your productivity output is not your value as a person.
- Meetings
- Work makes us
- The grass isn’t always greener
- We need to feel like the job develops us
- Joy is a barometer
- What are others missing?
- What are we saying “No” to?
- What did they give up?
- Dear Manager
- Effectiveness and efficiency are not the same thing
- Be selfish, in a good way
- What happened to get to here?
- Widen your awareness
- You see what you want to see, you hear what you want to hear
- Enhance
- Earn Respect
- COIK is Simple
- Don’t complain
- Don’t do or say anything that requires an apology
- Company Values
- Overconfident
- Data driven, or it doesn’t exist
- A reflection of you
- Karma – Malcolm and the seagulls
- We’re all connected
- Accentuate your strengths
- Don’t seek out drama
- Don’t criticise others
- Everybody you meet makes you who you are
- Gaining knowledge
- A thousand cats
- Be a wonderful asset to others
- Mistakes are learning
- Recognition belongs to those who do the work
- Thick Skin
- This is it
- People choose to follow a leader