Vacation Without Distractions - A Myth?

Are you one of those people who takes a vacation and doesn´t need to worry about work? Do you have great colleagues/employees who will take care of everything while you are gone? Consider yourself VERY lucky. In today's fast-paced lifestyle accompanied by all the electronic devices and social media expectations, most people, are not as lucky to fully enjoy their time off.  Taking a vacation has taken on a whole new meaning.  It’s not just about escaping our busy schedules but also about taking a trip away from our technology.

Here are a few tips on how to conquer "in presence vacation"

1. Plan your vacation based on your work and personal schedule; organize it at the right time

The right planning is the important key to your happy time off. Don't plan your vacation when you know that you will have deadlines waiting for you or it is the busiest time of the year at your workplace. Personally, I love taking a time off when the busiest and most stressful days are over. Otherwise, you will feel like you need another vacation after you've already taken one. Not ideal.

2. Lock your phone in a hotel safe

When you travel abroad, I highly recommend not to order any mobile data plan for your trip and make sure you limit your phone access to a minimum.  You can use your phone just for taking photos, but if you know that you wouldn't be able to resist checking your emails, switch your phone to an old-fashioned camera. It will be worth it. You would stay in a moment and all your temptations will be locked away with your phone.

I understand that many of you can´t stay away completely from your responsibilities. In that case, you might want to schedule 15-30 minutes preferably in the morning to scan through your emails to manage and delegate urgent matters.

You should also turn an airplane mode on your electronic device so you would avoid all the unwanted and unnecessary calls.

3. Set up your "Out of office reply" and make all the work-related arrangements

Prepare your personal work road map, schedules, notes, strict "out of office" reply - all the details necessary in your absence. More preparation leads to fewer distractions.

4. Leave your notebook, laptop, iPad at home

The more inconvenient you make it for yourself, the more forced you would be to manage only the most urgent issues. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!

5. Enjoy yourself and have a great time

Enjoy your time off, RELAX, REST, REJUVENATE and LIVE in the moment!!

Many workplaces are finally starting to understand how much they can benefit in a long run by investing in employees' health benefits such as taking a time off.  

Happy, well-rested, energized employees lead to great success!

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.”
– Charles Buxton

Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally.
― Eckhart Tolle

Be Here Now.
― Ram Dass