Take a Day Off — A Reflective Book About Work, Life, and Paying Attention

Take a Day Off

A reflective book about work, life, and being human

Most of us will spend a large portion of our lives working.
Not just completing tasks, but becoming someone in the process.

Take a Day Off is a quiet, reflective book about what work does to us over time—and how easily perspective can narrow without us noticing.

This is not a productivity book.
It is not a manifesto.
And it does not tell you how to live.

It is a collection of short stories, poems, observations, and visual reflections on working life, written for people who care about doing good work without losing themselves in it.

What Kind of Book This Is

Take a Day Off is best thought of as a companion.
A book you dip into.
A book you leave on your desk.
A book you return to when work feels heavy, confusing, or overly loud.

Inside you will find:

• short fictional stories about ordinary working lives
• reflective essays on identity, pressure, balance, and meaning
• poems on leadership, communication, and culture
• moments of humour, discomfort, and recognition

There is no linear argument.
No framework to apply.
No checklist to complete.

Just moments, ideas, and questions worth sitting with.

The Visual Language

Each chapter is paired with two posters.
One is designed and deliberate.
The other is more raw
— photographic, imperfect, and expressive.

They are not illustrations or explanations.
They exist to carry emotion where words stop, and to mirror the duality many of us experience at work: control and chaos, polish and mess, certainty and doubt.

Who This Book Is For

This book is for people who:

• think deeply about their work and its impact on their lives
• feel successful enough to start questioning the cost
• are tired of hustle narratives and easy answers
• want language for things they already feel but struggle to name

You do not need a crisis to recognise yourself in these pages.
You only need to be paying attention.

Formats

Digital Edition (Global)

A downloadable PDF including all stories, poems, and posters.

• Read on any device
• Lifetime access
• No DRM

Print Edition (UK only)

A thoughtfully produced A5 paperback designed to be held, browsed, and revisited.

• Full-colour print, including all posters
• High-quality gloss paper
• Wrapped with a personal thank-you note
• Printed and shipped within the UK

A Final Note

Take a Day Off will not tell you what to do with your life.
But it may help you notice how you are living it.

Sometimes, that is enough.

Placement in the Cultivated Library

This book sits within the Creativity and Essays collections, aligned loosely to the Idea → Value framework through the lens of working life.

Photos of the book

Here are some images from the book.