In our extremely virtual world, it has never been harder for people to shut down work and be truly home during time off. Especially now, when more people are working remote than ever, developing plans that will enable you and your team to truly detach from work while they’re on vacation is key.
Taking a vacation from your job often means that you may need to work ahead to keep things going while you’re out. We believe there are a few keys to making sure your time off is restorative.
Automation
If you’re used to working in the moment, you probably aren’t taking advantage of some of the ways you can schedule and automate tasks ahead of time. Things to consider scheduling out in advance include:
- Retriever slide publishing & unpublishing
- Email autoresponder
- Emails (if your email client has that feature)
- Blog posts
- Thermostat heat/cool settings
- Holiday light on/off settings
- Social media posts
- E-blasts
And, truth be told, these automations will make life even easier when you come back to work!
Turn Off Notifications
You get to decide how plugged in or unplugged you’d like to be during time off, so simply communicate that. If you want or need to totally detach, set up an alternative point of contact while you’re out of the office. Then, turn off notifications and truly don’t worry about it until you come back.
If you decide to be partially connected, then still turn off notifications and only check email or Slack when you choose to do so, not whenever a notification crops up. Silencing the noise from the apps that we work with during the day can be one of the most important aspects of taking time off.
Take Care of Future You
One of the most challenging aspects of taking a vacation can be returning to work, so take care of future you and work ahead before you go. When you return, you won’t be overwhelmed by a daunting workload, and you can address the things that came up while you were out.
This might include making a checklist for first day back priorities, scheduling ahead a few extra things, blocking out some meeting-free hours on your first day back, or cleaning out your email inbox before you depart.
At Retriever, we believe that great communication is at the heart of a great work life, and we’d love to help you incorporate optimal communication strategies into your daily workflow. Click here to schedule a free consult with a communication expert.