Tips to leave work behind during holidays
Do you have at times a little voice whispering to you over your shoulder ? It pretends to be your conscience but it’s rather a troublemaker, a saboteur who thwarts your vacation.
The saboteur springs into action as soon as you only start thinking of relaxing :
- “It will all go wrong without you”
- “You’d better call the office and check your inbox, send a text message and read that important report…”
- “Keep your phone on hand because you’ll see, it will not be long before they need you”
Awareness first change after ! Ask yourself the following questions :
Check your answers against reality – is this really the case or is it an assumption ? – and discuss them with someone you trust or with your coach.
The internal voice, aka trouble maker / saboteur loves repeating old recurring patterns. Here are some examples :
Voice / saboteur : Rest and relaxation is lazy !
The remedy (say aloud) : It’s good to take vacations and to enjoy. This is useful use of my time to recharge my batteries.
Voice / saboteur : I am indispensable in the office.
The remedy : I may be absent so that others will appreciate my qualities and strengths even more.
Voice / saboteur : Chaos reigns if I don’t have daily contact with the office.
The remedy : I may show others I have confidence in them to manage the office by not contacting them.
The following tips will make your next vacation a real joy :
- Make clear agreements with colleagues beforehand.
- Appoint one person to be your coordinator who’ll decide on whether you can or can not be disturbed for an urgent matter. Discuss with this person his/her powers and limitations before you go on holidays.
- Agree the optimal time to contact you during the day should contact be necessary.
- Write guidelines for colleagues and staff. A good briefing is reassuring for yourself and for others.
- Stuff your holiday planning in agreement with your travel companions : relaxing together, excursions, sport activities in company… This prevents you from reaching for that email or smart phone in an empty moment.
- Celebrate every day you haven’t called the office.
- Upon your return from holidays praise your colleagues for their coping abilities in your absence.
The inner voice is activated as soon as relaxation sets in, so plan for lots of relaxing activities during your holidays !
Your travel companions will be grateful to you. I suppose you don’t want your laptop to end up “accidentally” in the pool or in the sea ?
Enjoy that well deserved vacation ! Now go for it, charge those batteries !
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