The holiday season is coming up. Soon we’ll be all celebrating and taking that long deserved break from work.
Or are we?
With our hectic ways of life, work tends to hunt us also during our breaks, be it weekends or holidays. For many, learning to unplug has become almost impossible. No wonder the trend in many resorts is to promote switching off phones and laptops. Yet, the first thing we ask for when arriving in a hotel is: ‘have you got wifi?’
Before your next holiday, try some of the following:
1. Prioritise
Everyone says ‘prioritise’, but hardly anybody does that. When the holiday is approaching, it is vital to start doing it well on time. Assign to your tasks some ‘urgency rating’. What do you need to do before you go on holiday? What is required? Don’t waste your time with other matters. If you need help on prioritising, ask for it. Colleagues and bosses will certainly offer to help, as it is in their interest the right steps are taken.
2. Delegate
There must be someone you can trust, right? Then, delegate. Again, start well on time. Direct work in a way that makes you feel comfortable. Remember: we are as necessary as we want to be. Our egos oppose the idea of not being indispensable, but it is a fact: we are not. Keep the team in the loop because when everyone is aware of what is going on, leaving the job for your holidays will not be as painful.
3. Be honest
If your workload is too much, try to discuss that openly. Some people live to work and do not feel the need to take a break, take a holiday, or enjoy weekends with family and friends, but if you do, and your workload doesn’t allow you to do so, talk about it with your bosses. They might be more understanding than you think and will try to find a solution to your problem.
4. Quality is the result of a well-rested mind
Schedule some personal time during the work week to ‘train’ for your holidays. You might be so caught up in the working cycle that you do not realise how intertwined your private and work life is. Remind yourself and all the others around you that work quality and productivity suffer if they are not the result of a well-rested mind.
From all of us at HUONE, Happy Holidays!
Read how to relieve Anxiety at work