Ready to go on holiday and switch off?

Holiday season is just about to get into full swing. So, thoughts are turning to how we manage the work anxieties about going on holiday. We may look forward to the break but then thoughts creep in as to what might be happening whilst we are away, what if there is a problem that crops up and I’m not there to deal with it, how am I going to fit all my work in beforehand, how will I cope with all the work that has built up when I return?

It is really important you make sure you can really switch off. We need to be mentally as well as physically ‘away’ from the office to truly recharge the batteries.

You need to be fully present and engaged with whatever activities you have planned whilst you’re away, be that spending time with family and friends, immersing yourself in a new culture on a solo trip or simply spending time at home. You need to really benefit from that opportunity to recharge the batteries. It is not always easy to switch off, as lingering thoughts of unfinished tasks from before your holiday start to resurface. With our work life spent attached to our phone with constant streams of Teams messages and emails and the growing culture of needing to always be contactable, there are added challenges.

Here are some tips to try before, during and after your holiday to help you switch off, stay present in the moment and return to work after your holiday feeling invigorated and ready to take on new challenges.

Before

Brain dump

Take a blank page and dump everything that is in your mind swimming around that needs completing when you get back. This has so many benefits. Firstly, it clears the mind, so you don’t have to worry about remembering everything whilst you are away. It is all safely recorded allowing you to relax on holiday.

As you are going through the brain dump, you might start getting ideas of things you could delegate. Many people struggle with this, so perhaps add ‘learning the art of delegation’ to your brain dump as something to focus on, on your return.

Clarity

Set clear expectations with your colleagues, so they know what to do in your absence, what can wait, who to go to if it can’t and how and when to contact you if something really is urgent and can’t wait until your return.

Catch Up Time

Block out some diary time for your return and ensure others know that this time is protected. Put it in your diary now… more about that later.

During

These days we generally have our work life on our mobile phones as well. As you put the ‘out of office’ on make sure you also change your phone settings and turn off email notifications and log out of Teams and any other systems which you are likely to be contacted through. If something is important and can’t wait until you return, they can contact you in the way you have agreed before you left. This should be an exception though and not the rule!

If you really don’t feel you can leave those emails behind completely, decide to look at them perhaps once a day, and only a glance to see if anything is really important. Generally, you won’t need to do anything. People will receive your ‘out of office’ and decide to either wait or contact the person you have referred to on your ‘out of office’.

If something comes to mind whilst you are on holiday, or when you were scanning those emails you took a sneaky look at, don’t act straight away. Ask yourself; is it important? Can it wait? Generally, it can. However, you don’t want it playing on your mind whilst you are trying to relax and enjoying yourself. Make a note of it in a list on your phone so it has been recorded and added to your list when you return to the office and allow yourself to switch off again.

Make sure you find your fun or relaxation time on holiday; whatever makes you feel good.

After

Remember earlier I said book some time in your diary for when you return? This is for when you go through your emails and catch up with team members. At this stage I would always use the rule that if it takes less than 2 minutes to do, do it straight away. If it is going to take any longer than that, add it to the brain dump you created before your holiday. Personally, I like to use the filters on email and remove the ones that I know instantly I don’t need to look at. Just creating a smaller pile of emails to have to look at is an instant pick me up.

Then pick up that brain dump you created before holiday, add on any new items you added from your list, and start deciding what you can do and when (and schedule these in), what you can delegate (schedule time in with team members), and what no longer needs to be completed at all (can be deleted).

If organisation isn’t your strong point, or delegation is something you struggle with, then we can help you and your teams with training to improve that. Get in touch with us to find out more.

But . .  . the most important thing to do when you get back is to book the next holiday and get the countdown going so you have something to look forward to.

Have a wonderful holiday, whatever you have planned.

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