"This was a dream to move here," says James Island resident Erin Diehl. "There's not a day that I take it for granted." The author of I See You!: A Leader's Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy and founder of the professional development company improve it! wants you to feel the same way about the Lowcountry – even if it means putting LSD on your calendar.
LSD?
Nope, she's not talking about the psychedelic drug, Diehl is referring to "Light Saver Days," a concept she developed to help workers combat burnout. "The improve it! team calls this LSD for short," she writes in her new book. "But go with what feels right for your human resources department."
So what is a Light Saver Day? It's whatever you want it to be – as long as it isn't working overtime. "We want you to love the work that you do but also realize that your work comes with an off switch."
A Light Saver Day could be a picnic at the beach or an afternoon spent watching your favorite movie in your pajamas. It's a day to rest, recharge, and remember the things you love the most. "Proper rest is the most productive task you can give yourself and your team," Diehl advises.
From The Windy City to the Lowcountry
Diehl learned this lesson the hard way, while she was making her bones in Chicago. "I worked Monday through Friday, nine to five, performed improv three nights a week, and then spent my off nights building my side hustle," she writes. "Although I loved improv and had so much excitement around building my business, I had no days off."
"I was burning the candle at both ends, and there was little light to give to anyone or anything, not to mention the scalded fingers." Once she made that realization, Diehl began a journey that brought her and her family from Chicago to Charleston and resulted in a new way of living and a book that tells the tale.
A graduate of Clemson University, Diehl and her husband had married in Charleston, so they were well aware of its many charms. When the stress of trying to pivot an in-person business during the pandemic combined forces with the brutal Chicago winter, Diehl looked south. Working remotely had become an option, and "I realized that I worked best and felt my best when surrounded by sun, sand, and the ocean."
A Local's Light Saver Day
We recently asked Erin Diehl what she does to save her light. With the "yes, and . . ." enthusiasm of a trained improv performer, she immediately jumped at the chance to describe her ideal day and highlight some of her favorite local businesses on James Island, Folly Beach, and beyond.
She would start her day with a bit of exercise, and some caffeine. "I live near the marsh," she says. "I'm gonna put on my running shoes and go for a run." Then, she would swing by Highfalutin Coffee Roasters for an iced coffee with hazelnut and almond milk. "It'll give you that jolt."
Since a Light Saver Day isn't a work day, Diehl would have time for breakfast with her family at the Girl Nextdough food truck, where she likes the egg and cheese bagel. "They are just so sweet," she says of the owners, a father-daughter team.
Another local fave is Huriyali, for "smoothies and bowls and wraps." Aside from the food and the "hippie" vibe, Diehl loves the look of the teal building. "It's my life color."
For Diehl, a perfect Light Saver Day would include a trip to Folly Beach, where she and her family would stop at Taco Boy for lunch, then rent a boat and spend the afternoon on the water.
Come dinnertime, Diehl has options. For a "more refined" evening, she'd "come home, freshen up," then head to Tavern & Table on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant.
But after a day on the water, she'd be more likely to dock her boat at Bowens Island. It's "not a fine dining experience," but that suits her just fine. "Oyster-to-table," Diehl says of the food. "Literally sea-to-table. . . so good." Her four-and-a half-year-old son is also a fan. "My son loves to hear them call out the [order] numbers," she says. "He told me when he grows up he wants to be a server at Bowens Island."
For a nightcap, Diehl would stick close to home, and walk to Odyssey Bottle Shop. The family-friendly venue reminds her of a "surfer's living room." It features arcade games to entertain her son and craft beer that "you can buy from a cooler or on tap" for the adults. Every week, the venue hosts a food truck with a different type of cuisine.
Finally, Diehl's Light Saver Day winds to an end. After putting her son to bed, she says she would put on a "giant pair of sweatpants and hoodie and collapse on my couch."
Then Diehl would go to bed happy, knowing that "I get to wake up and live that dream again."
Get Your Own LSD
Diehl's new book offers many more helpful tips, personal-growth exercises, and lifestyle hacks for leaders and workers who feel stressed out and overworked. And for readers who have retired from the workforce? "You always have an opportunity to do something that brings you outside of your comfort zone," she says. "The rest of your life can be a Light Saver Day."
Meet Erin Diehl:
I See You! Book Signing Event
March 2
11-1pm
1238 Camp Road, Suite E
Charleston, SC
