Fully disconnected from your job can be tough, especially when you are in charge of a team. You feel guilty when taking time off, and therefore don’t really take a vacation. This can be detrimental to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so it is important to learn how to unplug when on vacation. Below lists the best ways to do so to ensure you make the most of your holidays.
- Plan a Schedule For Your Vacation
Dylan Schwartz the CEO of Dylan Universe Comics says, this might seem a little counterintuitive when trying to focus less on work when on vacation, but creating a schedule for your time off can help significantly with being able to relax. When we are used to following a schedule, it can make sticking to goals and timelines much easier.
If you plan out your days during vacation, you can include a 20 minute call with work if you want to check in. Having this scheduled ensures your team will be expecting your call, and both parties can be better prepared to have an efficient debrief. If you are employed in a managerial position, it can be tough to fully unplug. But when you schedule in calls or times in which you plan on doing a little bit of work, you can focus on enjoying your vacation more. This is because you won’t be checking your phone or computer often, or wondering what’s happening at the office.
- Have a Technology Free Holiday
If you really struggle with being device free on holiday and find you check your messages frequently, it can help to simply have a tech-free vacation. This means having your phone turned off the whole time you are away, or ensuring you don’t have access to wifi or data so you can only use your phone for taking pictures.
It can be a good idea to encourage those who are on vacation with you to also be tech-free as this makes it easier for everyone to fully enjoy it and be more present. When we get caught up in our emails and social media, we tend to do and see less around us, which is why a technology free vacation is a great option!
- Ask People at Work to Not Contact You
It might seem extreme to ask your coworkers or team to not contact you when on vacation, but this is a sure fire way to not be distracted when you are on holidays. If you have less emails, messages and calls coming through, you can relax more and be at ease, says Dayna Jackson the CEO at Wholesale Sparkle.
If you find this to be too nerve racking, you can designate someone in the office to inform you once while you are on vacation with a bit of information so you don’t feel completely out of the loop when you return. However, a no contact rule can really help you to not worry so much and it becomes less tempting to check your messages over time.
- Take Shorter Vacations More Frequently
Another way you can work on unplugging when on vacation is to take shorter vacations, more frequently. Especially when extending your time off from a weekend, there is less of a chance that anything major would happen at work. This means less to worry about, so you can focus on your vacation instead of what is happening at the office.
This also means more frequent vacations which can help to break up the time you suspend at work which can be helpful when trying to have a better work-life balance.
- Get Friends and Family to Hold You Accountable
When you are on vacation and you have made a pact with yourself to unplug, it helps to ask those who are on vacation with you to make you stick to your word. It can be difficult to fully unplug on your own, but it makes it easier when you have people around you who support your decision.
They can help you to stay busy, and will remind you of your promise when you feel tempted to check emails and check in with work.