I have learned, this summer, that taking vacation can be complicated. Essentially, vacation should be about having a break from your every day routine. Now that we work from home offices and WiFi gives us email access everywhere, how do you actually take a break?
My first week off this summer was not a break. I was planning to use the week as if it were six Saturdays in a row. I was going to catch up on house chores, run errands and gorge on Netflix. Because I was feeling pretty low key about it, I did not plan appropriately.
I didn’t tell my clients or make arrangements to hand over my projects to my capable colleagues. I don’t think I even put my out of office notifier on.
Guess what happened? I worked every day. Not all day like I usually do but every day.
Halfway through the week, my husband declared that I was not on a stay-cation but rather a fake-cation. (And in his opinion, I was fooling no-one!)
But I learned my lesson.
I started planning for my next vacation about three weeks out. I told my colleagues and clients and worked it into project plans. I knew I was on the right track when people wished me a great week off on the Friday when I left for the day.
I made plans for each day – special stuff that I would not ordinarily do. I left flex time so that I could take advantage of the weather. As it turned out, it was super sunny and gorgeous all week so I was not able to make a dent in my Netflix cue. But you know what? I am not at all sad about that.
Recruiter's Couch 