Tips to Disconnect From Work During Vacations

With summer in full swing, it is prime vacation season. But as you consider taking time away from work, the thought of disconnecting completely can be daunting or even seem impossible. This can be especially true if you are a business owner or hold a leadership role at your workplace. But regardless of your role, everyone needs a break every now and then to disconnect and enjoy both physical and mental time away from work.

July 23, 2020 | Business

By: Paige N.

Paige N. came to Acuity in 2015 as a commercial lines underwriter. Through her time in underwriting, she worked on a wide array of accounts, many in the service industry, including: automobile repair shops, apartments, beauty shops, and everything in between. In addition to her underwriting experience, Paige worked in advertising and is studying to obtain the Associate in General Insurance (AINS) designation. Thanks to her father, Paige drives a manual transmission and finds driving a manual much more fun than an automatic!

Author of Services & Retail Focus

To make disconnecting from work easier, consider the following tips to make the most of your time away:

Create a culture of vacation disconnect. One of the most important pieces of ensuring you have a truly disconnected vacation is to create a culture that allows it. As a leader, your employees look to you as an example for what is expected of them while on vacation. Are you responding to emails or clearly working while you are supposed to be relaxing? As a leader, the way you behave on vacation sets the precedent for how your employees feel they need to behave as well. If you truly want your employees to disconnect while on vacation, ensure you do the same. Not only will this encourage your employees to take a mental break from work, but it will also keep you in check while on vacation.
Empower your employees. Going into the game, you knew you would want to take a vacation at some point, requiring someone else to steer the ship while you are gone. Hiring good employees and empowering them to make decisions will help assure your business is in good hands when the time comes for a break. Knowing your employees have things under control while you are gone will give you peace of mind.
Use a “fun” email address. You are just starting your vacation and need to check your itinerary in your inbox. Unfortunately, you come across a few work-related emails while checking for your vacation itinerary and are thrust into work mode. Avoid this situation by using a separate email address for non-work-related items, including your vacation plans.
Plan for fun. Start preparing for your vacation a few weeks in advance by tying up loose ends, delegating necessary tasks to a trusted employee, and (if appropriate) informing your customers and/or clients that you will be away. Inform your employees what constitutes an emergency where you should be involved and trust them to handle the rest. When you set your automatic out-of-office message, include a trusted employee’s contact information to address inquiries in your absence. Finally, set a plan for when you get back, such as blocking a few hours to catch up or meeting with a trusted employee to get up to speed with what happened in your absence.
Commit to disconnect. Determine upfront if you need to work while on vacation and share your plan for disconnecting with your travel partners. If you must work, how much is acceptable? Is the plan to disconnect from all devices or just from anything work related? Should you even bring your work devices with you? If your work information is on your personal device, should you turn off notifications, silence your phone, use the “do not disturb” feature, or turn it off all together? Getting everyone on the same page about what devices and what work is acceptable should help avoid conflicts and ensure everyone has a great time.
Follow through. While on vacation, mentally commit to being on vacation and disconnecting from work. Do not apologize or feel guilty for taking this time, adhere to the agreed upon device and work ground rules and, instead of living in the digital world, enjoy the company of those around you. Trust that those you left in charge are capable to handle things while you are away. Enjoy yourself knowing your work will be there for you when you come back.

While it takes a bit of upfront planning, truly disconnecting from work will leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back at it when you return. Don’t feel guilty for taking time away—enjoy it and cherish the time spent with those closest to you!

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