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Dear friends,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was filled with cooking, eating, and family time. I’m thankful for that time, and for all of you! December can feel like a sprint to reach your year-end goals, and in this post, I want to think beyond the frantic pace. Let’s take on that critical career development topic known as-- vacation! Our work fundamentally relies on our creativity, and we cannot maintain that without resting our brains. The problem is that everyone else seems to be answering emails or writing grants while they are allegedly on vacation, and then they expect us to do the same. Many of you already know this, but I do take vacation, and I don’t work through it. Here are some of my tips:
Share your plans. It can be challenging in a 24/7 work culture to say you are going on vacation, and yet letting people know early can save a lot of pain. You can normalize by asking about upcoming vacations at standing project meetings, and make a point of adding upcoming vacation to the agenda when you meet with your mentors. I am not above stretching the truth about going to a location without internet access if I feel that the person I am interacting with does not understand how to stay away from work.
Unplug early. I keep the weekday before I leave for vacation meeting-free, and I set up my auto-reply a couple of days in advance. If my auto-reply sends people into a panic, they can still find me by phone before I actually leave.
Auto-reply smart. You know how in outlook you can see the first few words of the auto-reply? Make sure yours has your return date right up front so it can be interpreted even before the email is sent. I ask people to refrain from sending any non-urgent messages until I return, and then I let them know that it will take me at least 2-3 days to process my emails when I am back. One colleague of mine sets up a special vacation email account. His auto-reply says, “If you need to contact me, I can be reached at interruptyourvacation@gmail.com” I’ve never emailed him at that address!
If you have to work . . . First of all, do you really have to work? Will you miss an important deadline if you don’t? Is it going to destroy an important collaborative relationship? Is it going to keep you up at night? If any of these are true, share with your family and friends that you have some unavoidable work, and make a plan to get it done. I don’t advise trying to do “vacation stuff” all day and returning to your computer at night for a few minutes every day. You will be exhausted and resentful. My strategy would be to do it on the plane on the way there. You could also send everyone else to the beach/ on a hike, get situated, dive in, and get it done. Don’t be afraid to give your family a “treat” like screen time for kids or browsing in a bike shop (ok, that’s just my husband, but you get the idea) while you work.
Delete email from your phone. Checking your phone is an unconscious habit. If you receive emails that make you feel like you have to work, that can lead to stress and dispel that vacation feeling. If you’re feeling really brave, considering leaving your phone in your hotel room or wherever you are staying for the day.
Re-entry. I went on a two-week vacation this summer and came back jet-lagged to over a thousand emails. It took me a better part of a week to catch up. I had blocked out time, but it wasn’t enough. My new plan is not to take meetings on my first day back. I have also set my own expectations very low for the first week back. A victory would be catching up on email and with staff. When dealing with a huge batch of emails, I sort my emails by sender so I can easily delete the spam, and then I read the most recent first. This allows me to ignore issues that were resolved without me (there are many!).
I hope these tips make your upcoming vacation relaxing and invigorating.
Urmimala