Take a break

By the time you’re reading this, the holiday season will be in full swing. 

Whether you’ve got kids who are on school holidays or not, July, August and September typically herald a chance for many of us to take some much-needed annual leave. 

But despite having it booked out in your calendar, you may still find it hard to switch off. This month, I want to share some of my non-negotiable tips that allow me to actually have a break.

How to make it a proper break

Lock your devices away

When we go on holiday as a family, our devices are locked away in the hotel safe once we arrive. Admittedly, this is a bit more difficult as my kids have gotten older and want to use them for Spotify playlists etc…but if my wife and I have unlimited access to our phones, it’s pretty hard to ask the kids to get off theirs. Try to set rules that apply for all members of the family.

If you need your phone, remove the work apps

There’s no denying that having a phone can be handy on holiday – they’re great for looking up directions, safety, searching for information on places to go, paying for things etc. So, in some cases, it’s not practical to leave your devices behind.

Some of you may have work phones, in which case, leave those at home or in the hotel safe. But if your personal phone and work phone are the same, then remove any work-related apps for the duration of your trip. Unsync your work calendar from your personal one so you can’t see meeting invites, get rid of your emails, remove Slack and uninstall LinkedIn – it will all be waiting for you when you get back. It’s hard to fully relax if you’re constantly reminded that work exists.

If that's too much of a stretch, please at least switch off the notifications!

But…what if?

I’m sure there are some of you reading this, thinking “but what if…(someone needs me, there’s a work crisis, I forgot to give someone access to a document before I left)”. The hard truth is that if you’ve empowered your team sufficiently, they’ll be able to make decisions on your behalf. You might not agree with everything that they do, but work isn’t going to stop because you’re not there. Not everything that is marked as ‘urgent’ is actually urgent.

From a personal perspective, back before everyone carried a mobile, you let your parents know which hotel you were staying in and then they could call the front desk if there was an emergency. Let the people who need to know, know, and then switch off. 

That’s it. Short and sweet from me this month – go and take a proper break, recharge, and approach the autumn with a renewed sense of drive.

Take care,

James

Got feedback, I want to hear it. Let me know by commenting below!

Has your upcoming holiday made you realise you want to improve your work-life balance?

Get in touch. Let’s work out a way to keep you performing at your best in all areas of your life. 

james@jamespicklescoaching.co.uk

07855 315 753

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