Holidays from Work – How to Switch Off
16 Aug 2016
Eileen Moloney
No matter how driven ambitious or career orientated you are, everyone needs a break from work from time to time. Holidays serve as a great opportunity to unwind and most importantly, return to the office refreshed and relaxed. In order to have a stress-free break here are our top tips to get the best from your time off.
Calendar Planning – The first step in having a relaxing break is to review what’s coming up in your calendar. A quick check of upcoming events, important deadlines and immediate tasks will help you plan for a stress-free break. Adding diary time in terms of planning, on the day before you leave the office and the day you return will allow for a seamless transition out of work.
Plan Email Responses – It is important to arrange email responses in advance of your break from work. Setting an automatic response a day before your leave date and keeping your automatic reply until the afternoon of your first day back will give you a head start when returning to the office. Automatic responses should always include your date of departure, date of return and most importantly, a colleague to contact during your time away.
Delegate – A break from work is a great opportunity to exercise your delegation skills. Having a brief handover meeting with your colleagues and making them aware of any impending issues will ensure no complications during your time away. The contact details of your colleagues will be on your automatic response email so any queries from clients will be dealt with promptly. If necessary, you can ask your colleagues to CC you on their responses to any important emails which you can check once you return.
Switch Off - Giving yourself a break and relaxing is the most important part of any holiday. Stepping back means not checking emails or voicemails. It is important to also turn off email alerts and work related social media. If you really feel like you can’t step away, assign fifteen minutes once or maximum twice a day to quickly check emails, just make sure it’s not when sunbathing on the beach. Your colleagues will contact you if there is something vitally important or if there is an emergency, in the mean-time they expect you to step back and tackle any phone calls or emails on your return. It’s also a great opportunity for them to step up and take more responsibility.
Taking advantage of your holidays will totally refresh you resulting in a more efficient and productive attitude. An enjoyable break may develop a different outlook as well as fresh ideas to bring to your workplace. Remember, planning and delegation skills are key to you being able to enjoy your holiday, this helps ensure a smooth and stress free return to work.
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