10 Terrific Tips For Completely Avoiding Work on Your Vacation
According to the American Medical Association, men who take a yearly vacation have a thirty-three percent reduced risk of developing a heart attack. While the idea of an annual vacation sounds great, many people have a hard time unplugging from their networks. Work takes up anywhere from one-third to one-half of the day. Checking phones, emails, and other electronics to stay connected becomes habit-forming, even while on vacation. Here are ten terrific tips to avoid working while on vacation.
Plan Ahead
Take the temptation out of checking work emails on vacation by working like a machine before going away. Put in an extra hour or two of work each day to make sure everything is all caught up. Working through lunch breaks is a good way to get in some extra time at the office. This should help take some of the pressure off when away for several days. It should also help make sure there is not too much to catch up on after being away.
Book A Vacation In A No Wi-Fi Zone
Take the temptation out of checking phones and electronics by making it nearly impossible. Camping is a great vacation for getting in touch with nature while leaving the Wi-Fi hotspots back at the office. If it is not possible to check into a no Wi-Fi zone, consider turning off the Wi-Fi on the entire family’s electronics. Make a rule that no one is allowed to check their phones. It should help take the temptation out of being connected when everyone in the family is on board.
Make Vacation Plans Known Before Leaving
When someone goes on vacation, it usually means that someone else on the team will need to pick up the slack. Use services such as DropBox, Google Drive, or Evernote to store information co-workers might need to help customers or keep the business running smoothly while away. Write up notes or directions that will be helpful for them and pass them around the office. Neatly organize any job duties so a co-worker can align them without burdening the rest of the team too much.
Create An Out-Of-The-Office Email
Creating an out-of-the-office email response is a good way to redirect work emails while on vacation. It also alerts co-workers and clients that no one will be responding to their inquiries for a few days. Assist contacts by pointing them in the right direction. Redirect customers to other areas of the business that can help them by linking websites and the phone number or email address of colleagues. Have a manager or another set of eyes look it over before dashing out the door.
Plan Activities Before Leaving
Studies show that the average person checks their phone approximately one hundred and fifty times each day. Another study demonstrated that this results in a total of over twenty-five hundred touches to a smartphone or electronic device daily. Prevent the urge to check phones by staying busy. Plan the day with fun activities before leaving on vacation. Try new things like scuba diving, horseback riding, sailing, hiking, and other activities that involve nature. Book a massage or spa day for optimal relaxation.
Meditate
According to the Expedia travel website, only fifty-three percent of workers come back from their vacation feeling refreshed. Meditation has excellent benefits to clear the mind, promote relaxation, and improve cognitive function. A 2012 study found that meditation reduced stress in subjects who meditated after working on tests over an eight-week period. Vacation is the perfect time to meditate. Spend five to ten minutes each day in a quiet place (preferably on the beach during sunrise) concentrating on inhaling and exhaling.
Do Not Make Excuses
Approximately seventy percent of human resource professionals believe their employees return to work more productive after vacations. Do not make excuses or put off opportunities to go on vacation because “the time is not right.” There will never be a good time to go away, especially for business owners. Talk to a manager or the human resources department about options. Most organizations are happy to help their employees get a little rest because they know it will benefit the company.
Plan A Vacation At A Reasonable Time
People in management or leadership positions can take the stress out of planning a vacation by going away at a time that is convenient for the business. If another manager or person in a leadership role is also planning a holiday at the same time, try holding off for a few weeks. This will help reduce stress at the office for everyone involved. Consider taking a vacation at slow production times during the year, such as in the cold winter months.
Cut Off All Lines Of Communication
Leaving all electronics and phones at home may seem a little extreme, but it is the only guaranteed way not to check them. Give out a hotel phone number to important people only and ask them not to call unless it is an emergency. Cutting off the lines of communication between work and vacation might be the only way to truly disconnect for awhile. If social media is a problem, consider deleting an account or putting a lock on it until the vacation is over.
Stop Feeling Guilty
Most people never truly take a break from work because they feel obligated to working even while on vacation. But working hard three hundred and sixty-five days a year will make anyone burn out. Take the guilt out of going on vacation by considering all the reasons why a vacation is needed. When work starts to interrupt sleep at night or cause unhealthy levels of stress, it is time to put it aside and focus on health for awhile.