I cannot count how many times I have had people tell me "Well I can't ever REALLY vacation when I'm on vacation." My answer is always "Why Not?"
We own a lot of the responsibility for these "work-for-a-different-place-cations" and a high part of that is what we allow. Not saying it is easy or possible to shut down all of the work, yet the boundaries we set are CRUCIAL to setting the tone of what we want our vacations to be.
A chance for a little R&R&R --Rest, Relaxation and Recharging.
This article is extremely timely.... some practical ways to set vacation boundaries!
Do you have a hard time disconnecting from work—like, completely disconnecting—while you’re on vacation? Here are five things to do in advance to protect your precious time off.
Provide a plan. Prepare a document outlining how your work will get done. Who is the emergency contact for each issue that could arise in your absence? Who will manage any ongoing projects?
Block your calendar. This way, your manager, colleagues, and clients will remember that you're out-of-office (OOO) any time they try to send you a meeting invite.
Send pre-notices for standing meetings. Don’t just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know that you won’t be there—and ask if there's anything they need from you before you depart.
Optimize your OOO message. State that you will not be reachable until the date you return. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other important but non-urgent inquiries.
Send a final reminder. The week before your vacation, remind all your relevant collaborators when you’ll be on vacation and the date you’ll return.
This tip is adapted from “Set These 5 Boundaries Before You Go on Vacation,” by Marlo Lyons
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