Strategies for Disconnecting from Work During Holidays

Vacations give us a chance to reduce stress, gain a fresh perspective on things & boost mental well-being. But, there's a catch – all of this can only happen if you truly unplug from work. According to a recent survey by ELVTR, 68% of Americans work on vacation. The irony? You can't shake off stress while carrying it along. As I gear up for a few days off, I wanted to share what works for me to make sure I'm not part of that 68%: ☝️ Heads Up: Let your colleagues and any relevant external contacts know you'll be the off the grid 📱Digital Detox: Take Slack & email off your phone 📅 Schedule a re-entry day. Try to avoid meetings on Day 1. Pro-tip, if you can, put the date you’re coming back as one day after you actually return, so you have time to work through email purgatory. And, don't forget to set up an Out-of-Office message that points folks in the right direction while you're away – a touch of humor might just make it memorable. Remember, unless your profession involves saving lives (shoutout to doctors!), the world won't crumble if you take a well-deserved breather. #vacationmode #worklifebalance

Take time off. Real, computer-free, notifications-silenced time off. I recognize, for some of you, the prospect of doing this is terrifying. 😥 "What will happen while I'm away?" 😥 "Will I come back to a pile of work?" 😥 "What if a client needs something from me?" 😥 "People are counting on me." Leaders, this is why it's 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 to just "𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿" PTO. You have to require it, encourage it, and support it. Here's how: ✅ Build in redundancies; the success of your business shouldn't hinge on the availability of one person - even 𝘆𝗼𝘂. ✅ Ensure business continuity; deputize someone to be responsible in place of the employee on leave. Make sure they have what they need to be successful. ✅ Ease them out of (and back into) the work; leading up to and upon return from vacation, keep a couple of days light on meetings so they can effectively transition out and back into "work mode". ✅ Model these behaviors yourself; leaders need a break, too. Who are you developing on your team to carry things forward so you can take time to refresh too? Do I check-in occasionally via email or WhatsApp when I’m on vacation? Of course! When my kids are asleep and my wife is winding down, I’ll occasionally flick through a few emails to make sure no clients were being left waiting for a response. But I always fully disconnect from my laptop - which allows me to refresh, refocus, and remind myself why I do what I do: For moments like these with my family. 💡In the rush of life, don't forget to invest time and energy back into the reasons that you work in the first place. #PTO #Rest #Performance #Culture #Leadership

The holidays are coming up and many of you are feeling conflicted about taking time off. The voices in your head are telling you: 😨 "They're going to think I don't work as hard as I used to" 😨 "They'll think less of me if I take more time off" 😨 "I'm scared to take time off in this economy" 😨 "Stuff won't get done if I'm not there" 😨 "I'll go on vacation but I'll still be available" I get it. I've been where you are. And what are you 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 thinking? 🔥 "If I take time off, they're going to fire me" For the vast majority of you, especially those with imposter syndrome, these are just voices in your head and there's no condition under which your boss is going to fire you. I know, from experience. Yet I still beat myself up over taking time off. I would work the week between Christmas and New Year's just to show that I was committed and hard-working. I did that until I was probably 43 years old. ☠️ If I were to give guidance to my 25-year-old self, I would tell him: 👉 "Work your butt off but also take all the time you need and want to recharge and be with your family. They're not going to fire you." So here's my summary guidance: • Take the vacation time you need and want (be responsible of course) • Take email and Slack OFF your phone during vacation • Do NOT make yourself available during your vacation except for emergencies. I see this all the time with sales leaders I'm coaching, I experienced it myself and that's why I created the Sales Leader's Guide to Taking a Vacation and Keeping the Team Productive Download it here: https://lnkd.in/gAny2z42 Now go book your holiday vacation please.