Your vacation – it’s your time to unwind, relax and recharge. For some, this means it will take quite a bit of work not to take work with you.
If you’re like many of us, you’ve probably allowed unused time off to roll over until next year or to disappear into a black hole. Or, you might have already made your escape earlier in the year, but you squandered some of it checking work email, voicemail, or fielding job-related questions because you felt restless and didn’t know what to do with yourself.
Much of this mentality comes from the culture of not being able to “just be” says Helen Friedman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in private practice in St. Louis, and contributor to Webmd.com. “Just being” means being lazy, she says, as there’s no time to just be. The emphasis is less on character and personality, but more on the job at hand.
While we think this attitude leads to more productivity, it can, in fact, cause us more harm than good in the long run.
Vacation is a time for renewal. At work, we need to think hard. Sometimes, it’s good to give our brains a rest. Without a break, we may not be able to perform up to our potential.
Long working hours without a break, insecurity about your job and other work-related issues can lead to burnout and stress. While most of us can adapt to pressure, we can’t keep it up for a limitless amount of time. Here are a few tips from mental health, travel, and career experts on how to improve your work-vacation balance:
Plan your vacation time.
People usually make travel plans in advance but forget to prepare co-workers for their time off. Make sure there are people around who can cover your calls and other responsibilities. Keep people in the loop on what you’re working on, and try not to take on projects that will require your presence during vacation.
Set boundaries, and stick to them.
If you absolutely must work during vacation, figure out a schedule that will limit your connectivity to work. Make sure it is a set time — say, for a half-hour at 9 a.m. When you are finished, leave the smartphone, tablet, or laptop in the hotel. And be sure to set up an “out of office” email. When coworkers receive an email indicating when you will be returning from vacation, there is a good chance they will stop trying to contact you.
