How do you stay away from work during vacation? Should you disconnect your phone? What should be your primary source of workplace communication? How do you make the most of the vacation and unwind from work?

Want to know how to do all of these? Keep reading

According to a global study by Skynova, 91% of Americans claim that their workload prevented them from taking the necessary vacation time. Similarly, 88 percent of German employees, 87 percent of Spanish employees, and 81 percent of employees in France and the UK could not take time off due to workloads.

It is not the lack of desire that’s keeping employees away from taking a vacation. According to a Harvard project “Time off” more than half of the people leave vacation days unused to save them for something important. It also said that creating social connections or going on vacations away from work allowed employees to feel safe and have a good ROI in terms of energy and outlook upon returning to work. They are more driven and have rebooted.

With work from home being so prevalent we have gotten used to going on vacation and not having actually taken that time to reboot but being engaged on far too many work calls resulting in working even on vacation. Part of it also has to do with the fact that we carry technologies in today’s world that make it easy to access and hard to disengage from work.

It has also been found that most of these people who take vacations find it hard to leave their primary form of communication due to obligations at work. Most of their superiors expect to check in at work once in a while leading to prolonged work time and not enough time to unwind when at work.

But we regret checking into work. Because work precedes vacation time. You work when on vacation so much that you end up being tired. Imagine going to Spain on a vacation, getting up early so you can check in and start working for another 3 hours. You are in a different time frame. When you finally decide to go check out the country, you still get calls. By the end of the trip, you realize you have spent most of your time attending to your work and very little time exploring the city or with the ones you went on a vacation with.

Although it’s understandable that we feel the obligation to stay connected with work to prove that we don’t take work lightly & are high-performing employees. It is also equally important to remember that our mental health is at stake here.

Vacation time has a positive impact on not only your mental health but also your productivity. It enables a person to make better decisions and improves problem-solving skills.

How to make most of your vacation and limit your communication at work

• Finish your work in advance. 

Some of your work is flexible enough to be finished and saved on draft. Or scheduled to make room for a good relaxed vacation time. Tie all your loose ends so any work you might have done may not interfere with your vacation.

• Limit the apps and sites on your phone to only the important ones.

We all have some apps and sites that are required for work and which help us be updated in case of emergencies. For some of us we need to read our news online, there are other forms of communication that enables one to reach during a problem. Limit these apps to the ones that are required and stop feeling guilty over staying away from your system for a while.

• Keep all the documents your work may require in order

Your work may require some files that you are in charge of and these files when missing create a situation where the employees worry about their whereabouts. Keep them on top of your desk and label them into a system that makes them easy to find.

• Turn off all the notifications

Yes, you heard that right. Use this feature that most of our phones have is underutilized mostly “Don’t disturb”. Use it when you are going to a spa or to a light day at the beach. You are on a vacation during this time. Engaging at work would only mean that you won’t be able to give your 100% at work or at these places. Be there and absorb your surroundings.

• Leave your work System at home

Most of us carry our laptops and other work essentials to our vacation thinking if there’s something important we will take care of it. This is a trap. The moment you carry your work system outside you can’t resist but be available on it. Plan your vacation such that you are only reachable in case of emergencies on your personal device

• Make an inside vs. outside rule on vacation

Some people work in systems where the dependency on the person working is such that they can’t avoid being completely disconnected from work. While it’s advisable to not use your system at work at all if you think it’s mandatory and something your work can’t do without. Make an inside vs outside rule. When you are at the hotel checking your work emails, the moment you step out of the hotel turn off all forms of work communication. Be in that moment and unwind.

• Ask someone to fill in at work 

Your work is important and sometimes a colleague who’s working with you or reporting to is aware of what happens. Schedule meetings with your team and inform them to fill in, when you are required.

• Inform everyone in your team before leaving

Most of us apply for a vacation well in advance. People might know but forget that you have a vacation coming up. Inform everyone and make sure they are all on the same page before leaving. There shouldn’t be any bickering over your email and who handles it. It’s best to get everyone on the same page about all of it, write an email, and remind everyone two or one days in advance so they are prepared for it. 

• Plan Your return

Coming back to the grind after a vacation can prove challenging. A ton of work to catch up on makes you wish you were better off on the vacation. Start slow. Plan the urgent meeting first when you come back and subsequently slowly catch up and complete the remaining work.

Conclusion

Vacation or taking time apart though might not feel like it but increases your productivity at work. Humans are simply more productive when rested. This is all a part of the recharging process, also sometimes known as the refueling principle. Human systems just like machines need maintenance. Taking time off increases vitality and mental focus. This process helps to reduce burnout. Recreation or “a good vacation time” increases positive mood, builds confidence, and thus increases productivity. If you are looking for a good work-life balance, try Coding Collective. Coding Collective offers high-paying, remote jobs to developers with top MNCs globally.