Spending uninterrupted time with family or simply by yourself has the potential to re-inspire you. Holidays give you the opportunity to reflect on why you’re working so hard and for such long hours. Maybe so you can provide for your family or to be the best you can be. Your hopes and dreams are the foundation of those reasons, so it is important to take care of you during your time away from the office.
If you are about to go on holiday and take time away from work, here are three things to consider before heading out that will help you enjoy your time away unplugged.
1. Before you leave.
At least a week before your holiday starts discuss your Most Important Things (MITs) that need to be done before you leave. Clarifying what absolutely needs to be done before you leave for your holiday will make it easier to leave. Write your priorities down and mark them off as you complete them, this way you are visually watching your action list shrink while your confidence in leaving is growing as your mind is becoming clearer and freed from the impending list of things to do.
2. While you’re on holiday.
Agree on your MITs (Most Important Things) for the time you’re on holiday. Be willing to define what is most important during your holiday. It may be one simple thing or it may be a few things. Regardless, keep them at the forefront of your mind. Write them down if you need to. Not all holiday’s are the relaxing and peaceful kind, but find time in each day to refresh your mind with what is most important to you during your time away.
3. Catch up days.
Schedule two afternoon “catch-up times” for the week after you return. After being away for a period of time, it can be very overwhelming to get back into the swing of things at work. Feeling buried under papers or drowning in emails, it can seem stressful coming back. To avoid feeling like this, schedule at least two afternoons that you can dedicate to catching up. As Muhammad Ali said, “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” Make the time to get the pebbles out of your shoes by getting caught up on what you missed so you will be ready and available to stay on top of what is current and in need of your attention now.
