It’s an unfortunate reality, but for some employees being able to “unplug” and step away from work completely during a vacation isn’t an option. In an article on CNBC they write that “only 47% of 21-25-year-olds say they can’t unplug, compared to 65% of professionals aged 45 and up who say the same, likely due to the increased responsibility and experience required of them.” While the idea of being able to unplug sounds great in theory, if you work in a job with deadlines looming, sales closing, or other pressing issues needing your attention, you may need to check on things while away from the office. There are some ways though, you can still have a vacation that will leave you relaxed and fulfilled. Here are some examples to find that balance…
Tell Others You Are Away and Your Check-In Strategy
It’s important to set boundaries and let your manager and teammates know the dates you will be gone and if you will be checking emails periodically. They should be respectful, and this alone will hopefully prevent them from emailing you while you are gone, leaving the only emails you will need to attend to be those from important clients or other potential business.
Have a Plan for Work Emergencies
Ideally, have a backup person who can monitor your emails and only reach out to you if any emergencies come up. Have a plan on how they will communicate this information to you, i.e. a phone call or text message, so that way you don’t have to continually check your emails, and in the process get distracted by the other, less important emails, that can easily wait until you return to the office. In an article in Harvard Business Review, they write, “Another way you can sabotage your attempts to have any real downtime is to proactively look out for work emergencies. This can lead to you compulsively check your phone during the times when you’re supposed to be off. And even when you’re not actively scanning your inbox for trouble, you’re thinking about whether you should be. For any days where you’re not working the full day, have a designated person who can field most items and contact you if a true emergency comes up. Prep them on exactly when you want to be contacted. For example, Always contact me if anything comes through from the client for the upcoming trial; otherwise only contact me if it’s a high-stakes, urgent issue. Include your point person’s name and contact information in your autoresponder. Don’t forget to tell them how you want to be contacted, too. I recommend staying out of email or other messaging channels unless it’s your designated work time, so ask your point person to contact you via a text or phone call if you need to go check your inbox. That way you won’t be on a hike and tripping over roots in an attempt to scan your inbox or feeling guilty about just staring out into the horizon at the ocean. A real key to unwinding is knowing that everything will be okay until you re-engage — and that if it’s not, you’ll be contacted about it.”
Be Flexible
While you may want to try and have everything organized and squared away before leaving, providing the option to fully unplug, trying to get everything organized before a big trip can also be incredibly stressful. In an article on Fast Company they recommend having a more moderate approach writing, “There’s this misconception that when we go on vacation, we should be able to “have everything squared away,” Boyes tells Fast Company. This idea, along with the trends of unplugging and digital detox, create the expectations that can be impossible to meet. Sure, you can let your colleagues and clients know that you plan to be off the grid, but they might still find your mobile number and call you for non-emergency reasons. If you’re in charge of a department at your company, it’s natural to worry about losing a major client–and you shouldn’t berate yourself for feeling that way. Boyes also rejects the idea that a vacation is only restorative if it’s work-free, pointing out that this idea is incompatible with the realities of modern life. If the thought of not dealing with a pressing issue until after your vacation makes you anxious, for example, there’s nothing wrong with dedicating some time during your vacation to tackle it. And if you hate the thought of coming back to a mountain of work, perhaps you can schedule an hour or two every day to make progress on that work. “The more accepting you are of your reality,” Boyes said, the easier it is to make a case-by-case decision that’s right for you.”