Will you be giving yourself permission to holiday?
With the main summer holiday season now upon us, maybe you’ve decided you need a break from work and have booked some time off – whether that’s a few days away in this country, going abroad, or simply staying at home.
Holidays are meant for relaxing
Achieving the right work/life balance can be difficult, particularly if you work from home. But it’s important that you allow yourself time off and in effect give yourself permission to holiday. And don’t be tempted to view a holiday as time to ‘catch up’ on work, or an opportunity to get ahead of things, even if you are staying at home. Your holiday should be used to help you relax and give your brain a much-needed chance to switch off, recharge and rest so you can return to work refreshed.
Pre-holiday angst
With the countdown to your holiday now underway, why is it that all that lovely joy and anticipation is fading, and instead of feeling excited, you’re panicking about getting everything done in time so you can enjoy your time off without feeling guilty? Plus, you might be wondering if it’s OK to check in on team members whilst you’re away, read and respond to emails when really you should be kicking back and relaxing.
And if that wasn’t enough, you’ve also started thinking about the amount of work you’ll come back to. Those thousands of emails and voicemail messages waiting for you, which may be out of date and urgent.
Work will survive without you
So, pause and take a moment. Your workplace will survive without you and vice versa. Before we had mobiles and emails, people went on holiday with zero guilt and that is achievable for you if you get organised in advance.
All it takes is good planning and preparation
With the right amount of pre-holiday planning and preparation, coupled with some good old-fashioned delegation and communication, you can not only get vital time away from work, but actually enjoy it too.
Prioritise – look at your to-do list and ensure any urgent jobs are completed before you go.
Be realistic – don’t overpromise too much before you go, or in the first few weeks after you return.
Leave time – don’t book anything important (pitches, training, meetings etc.) the day (or even two days) before your holiday, or your first and/or second days back. Give yourself time to wind down for your holiday without too many last-minute stresses and then plan a phased return to the office that allows sufficient time for you to catch up on what’s been happening.
Look ahead – make sure the work you know will need to be done when you get back is planned and has clear actions/responsibilities/timelines in place.
Communication – contact key clients/contacts and let them know in advance (3-4 weeks) about your holiday and ask if there's anything they need before you leave.
Finish tasks – don’t be tempted to leave any projects half done. Finish off any loose ends and leave a handover document if you’re not able to get everything completed.
Share information – let your colleagues/team know what you’re working on and where you are with certain projects, should they be called upon to do something in your absence. Also, it’s important to stress that you are not to be disturbed and won’t be responding to emails, calls etc.
Delegate – empower your team by letting go and trusting them to cover for you and maybe do some of the items on your to-do list.
Boundaries – establish exactly how much work-related stuff you’ll be doing while you’re off, let colleagues know what to expect and then stick to it.
Out of office – set your out of office on your email and phone and explain how long you’ll be away, making the point that you will not be checking emails/calls but give them the details of someone they can contact if they need anything.
How I can help
If you’d like some help to prioritise and plan your time more efficiently before going on holiday, and reduce the overwhelm, please get in touch. Otherwise have a great holiday!