The art of truly disconnecting

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I’m continuing my theme of vacation-related newsletters while on vacation. Because relevance, of course. And sometimes I need to give myself a pep talk.

Taking a vacation is about more than just not being at work—it's about giving yourself the space to rest and recharge. Here's how to fully unplug and make the most of your time off.

• Why it matters: Constant connectivity can lead to burnout. Truly disconnecting allows you to return to work refreshed, more creative, and more productive.

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One thing I’ve noticed about myself is that it typically takes me 4-5 days of being disconnected to stop thinking about work while on vacation. This will vary for everyone, of course, but if you’re an always online type like I am, it can feel particularly challenging. Folks don’t notice you’re out on vacation and message you anyway, or they have zero expectation for you to respond but you hate seeing that little unread notification.

The struggle is real! And for some like myself, you have to take more drastic measures to prevent yourself from working or even thinking about work while on vacation.

Let’s start with the return. If you’re thinking about everything you’ll need to do when you get back, set yourself up for success to prepare for an easy transition back to work. Next week’s newsletter will cover this particular topic, so I won’t dive too deep here, but the tl;dr is I put together my to-do-now-that-I’m-back list on my last day.

Now we work backwards from there. First off, you have to be comfortable with letting go. You aren’t going to know everything happening at work, and you shouldn’t have to. Unless you’re a company of one, you have colleagues and team members for a reason. Trust they have things under control. And frankly, if they don’t, I’m sure you’ll hear about it on your return! Last week we discussed delegating in preparation for a vacation. Lean on that in the weeks leading up to your time off.

Tactically speaking: if you’re an inbox zero and no-unread-notifications type, turn off those notifications now. Honestly, you don’t need to be immediately alerted on your phone when someone sends you an email or a Slack message anyway. If something’s urgent, they can pick up the phone and call you or text you. This goes for everyday working hours too!

If you still find yourself checking Slack even with notifications being off (hello, speaking from experience here), take the more dramatic option and delete the app from your phone. Or you can use an app like Opal to block apps or limit screen time. Whatever it takes to break you of your habit!

Lastly, let’s talk about something more personal. What are your priorities? What do you enjoy? Is it working and thinking about work 24/7? No? Then why are you allowing yourself to do this while you’re on vacation? To be honest, I get super introspective on every vacation. Am I happy? Am I doing things that bring me joy? Do I need to recalibrate anywhere? You may find yourself inspired when you’re no longer thinking about work. I still strongly encourage you to actually enjoy your time off and not slip into productivity mode, but you have a Notes app on your phone. Write down your thoughts and set them aside. You can pick back up on them when you return home from vacation.

The bottom line: Work will be there when you return, but the opportunity to recharge shouldn't be missed. Enjoy your time off.

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