Recently, I spent four hours of a paid vacation day working from home. I simply couldn’t stop. It was so quiet I could think. As ideas came, I could act on them without interruption. I got as much done in four hours at home as I usually do in eight at the office. I felt like I should stop, but I had so much to do. There’s no end to follow up and clients who want my attention, so how do I know when to quit working and actually relax on my vacation days? A few weeks ago I told you why you should take a vacation. Now I’m going to tell you why it’s okay to work (a bit) during it. Normally, just the thought of working while on vacation makes me nauseous, but here are three reasons I get out the antacid and the laptop:
It Demonstrates Commitment: It’s not fair, but it’s true. Plenty of companies expect employees to at least check email if they are going to be away more than a day; and so, the workation was born. 40 percent of men and 30 percent of women plan to work on vacation this year. Other members of my team with similar responsibilities work while they’re on vacation. I’ll look bad if I don’t. For example: If a customer voicemails me on Monday, and I wait until the following Monday to return his call, I might lose him. Since I can’t risk losing a lead, I email my designated backup and ask her to follow up. Then, I make note of it for my next performance evaluation. What good is my commitment to the company if they don’t know about it?
Less Stress on Vacation and at Work: I met with my manager the day before I left for vacation and we set ground rules. What work was I willing to do on vacation? Check email/voicemail? Attend client sponsored events? Handle an emergency? What constitutes an emergency? We set some boundaries. We determined whom in the office should be my designated back up. I gave them both a list of my projects that need monitored and their status. I told them who might call looking for me. I set an out of office email message referring to my designate and included her contact information. I proposed a time of day when I’ll consistently check messages. Fifteen minutes first thing during my morning coffee is what is convenient for all of us. I’ll either answer the messages, flag them, or pass them along to my delegate. I promised not to sabotage myself by responding to messages outside of that set time. When I stay connected and know things are running smoothly, I don’t worry. When an emergency happens, I handle it and don’t worry. When my inbox isn’t overflowing upon my return, I don’t worry.
No Guilt: I have too many pressing deadlines to take time off, yet I risk burnout if I don’t take it. Does this sound like you? Paid vacation is one of my benefits. If I don’t take it, I’m sending a message to my company that they’re wasting money. Yet, I’m expected to check messages because I have a laptop and a smartphone. If I want to totally unplug, I vacation somewhere I can’t get an internet connection. If I stay at a hotel with a designated business center, I take advantage of it. I can get plenty done in a short amount of time with free wi-fi, a secure internet connection, and a printer. Then, I tune out and enjoy the rest of my day. Tuning out is actually work for me. I have to make a conscious decision to live in the moment and enjoy it. I have to decide to stop thinking about what might be going on at work and concentrate on relaxation. I don’t mind checking in because I don’t want an important task to fall through the cracks. I enjoy my time off more when I know things are okay back at the office. I have an innate FOMO, but as long as I’m working because I want to and not because I have to, my peace of mind is worth it. And it’s worth my T.E.A.M.
Do you take vacations or workations? Tell me about them here: