With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us are preparing for our long-awaited vacation time. Unfortunately, some people feel that they can’t take their allotted Paid Time Off (PTO) due to their highly stressful jobs. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, the average U.S. employee only takes about half of their given vacation time. Additionally, when employees do use their PTO, three in five (61%) admit to engaging in work-related tasks. It’s incredibly important to develop a healthy work-life balance, especially in demanding jobs. Managing stress effectively can not only help your mental health, but help you perform better in your day-to-day duties. Here are some tips to help you recharge and enjoy a stress-free vacation.
1. Plan, plan, plan
When you are planning your vacation time, make sure that it’s not during a super stressful time and give plenty of notice—at least two weeks—so your manager can plan accordingly. Having all (or most) of your projects taken care of before going on vacation will make your time off much more enjoyable. In addition, provide your manager with a list of issues that may come up during your absence and how to handle them if they arise. Informing people ahead of time that you will be gone will allow ample time for others to prepare for your absence.
2. Check emails at designated times
We all know it’s hard to not check work emails, especially if you get them on your phone. However, when you are on vacation, you should only check emails at designated times. Turn off emails on your phone and set up an away message that states exactly what dates you’ll be gone, when you will be checking emails, and the proper contact to reach out to in case of an emergency. As hard as it may be to not constantly check for emails, you’ll be much happier you didn’t do so on your precious vacation time.
3. Take time to celebrate
As much as you might feel uncomfortable not being absorbed in work on your vacation, it’s so important to take advantage of your time off and celebrate! Enjoy every moment you get to spend with your family, friends, and significant others. Engage in activities that you wouldn’t normally be able to during a work day—and appreciate them! The most important tip for having a stress-free vacation is to live in the moment. Being present and not thinking about work will really help you recharge before getting back to the daily grind.
4. Don’t stress yourself out when returning to work
Once you return back from vacation, it may be really easy to stress yourself out with loads of emails, meetings, and more. However, don’t let all of that get to you—set up a meeting with your manager to prioritize your tasks for the next couple of weeks, so you can ease back into work with some peace of mind.
Vacation is a great time for us to recharge and start with a clean slate when we return to work. Not taking advantage of time off can hinder your ability to perform better and can definitely cause burnout. With the proper planning and preparation beforehand, you can enjoy a stress-free vacation without worrying about work.
Happy holidays!
This post is by Samantha Tolin and it originally appeared on Career Contessa.
