Okay, be honest: When you’re on vacation, do you sneak a peek at your work email?
If you said yes, you’re not alone. More than twothirds of us check work emails or voice messages when we should be enjoying a holiday. Thirtyeight percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Expedia said they checked work emails or voicemails “regularly” or “constantly” while on vacation – an increase of 11 percent over last year’s findings. A further 30 percent admit they check at least “sometimes”.
Dr. David Posen, stress specialist and author of Is Work Killing You?, says we need to fully disconnect from work, as truly leaving it all behind offers a range of important physiological benefits.
Vacations can lower blood pressure and ease stress and tension in the body. They give us the time to reconnect with spouses, partners, family members and friends, and we return to work rejuvenated and better able to focus – and all of that translates into stronger feelings of well-being.
To avoid stress when returning to work, Dr. Posen suggests that there are some solutions that aren’t so complicated. He states that both employees and employers are responsible for fixing the problem as stress affects everyone.
Everyone in an organization is a stakeholder and everyone can contribute to the solutions. Here are a few tips:
1. Consider telecommuting. Telecommuting can reduce commute time, let employees coordinate work with their family situations and allow them to match work hours to their individual body rhythms and energy cycles.
2. Tame the Technology. Overuse of email, texting, BBM and IM have people drowning in an ocean of electronic messages and technostress. Policies to restrict after hours use are already being implemented by some companies. Use functions like “cc” and “reply all” more mindfully so they stop filling up everyone’s inbox. Avoid multiple messaging (phone plus email plus text within minutes of one another). And don’t use email for complex or emotional issues that require subtle nuance and careful communication. Set aside blocks of time — between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. — when you turn your electronics off and focus on clearing your head.
3. Avoid Long Hours. Research shows that productivity declines after about 40 hours a week. People who work long hours are not only less productive but are more likely to get less sleep, exercise and down time. The net result is that they are chronically tired and less efficient, thus forcing them to work long hours to get their work done.
