Furloughed City Worker Discovers “Self-Care” Is Just Unpaid Leave With Candles
Three unpaid furlough days were supposed to plug a $30 million budget gap. Permit clerk Renata Villegas turned them into a wellness journey.
Dallas, TX – When the City of Dallas ordered more than 4,200 employees to take three unpaid furlough days to plug a $30 million budget gap, permit clerk Renata Villegas saw an opportunity.
“Everyone’s always telling you to prioritize self-care,” said Villegas, 38, speaking from a bath she described as “lukewarm, for budget reasons.” “Now the city is prioritizing it for me. Mandatorily. Without pay.”
She spent her first furlough day on a guided meditation, a sheet mask and “a long, honest look at my checking account.” By the second, on Sept. 4, she had moved on to journaling.
“I wrote down three things I’m grateful for,” she said. “My health. My cat. And that I don’t have to process the permits for that data center.”
Wellness experts call it a trend. “We call it fiscal mindfulness,” said Chad Marigold, a life coach who works out of a Bishop Arts coffee shop. “Breathe in. Breathe out. Don’t buy anything. It costs literally nothing. That’s the point. There’s nothing.” Marigold’s Furlough Retreat package costs $299, which he admits is “not really aimed at the target demographic.”
Villegas is preparing for the final furlough day, Sept. 28, like a marathon: hydrating, stretching and “practicing saying no to brunch.” It hasn’t all been peaceful. “I lit a candle called Serenity, then remembered it cost $36,” she said. “I blew it out. Now it’s a candle called Anxiety.”
Still, she says it’s changed her outlook. “The budget took a 14-hour meeting. Everybody at City Hall is exhausted. Maybe we all just need a spa day.” She paused. “An unpaid one. Obviously.”
