Whether you have a long European holiday on the horizon or are just taking some time off to recharge at home, it’s important to set yourself (and your team) up for success before you go so you can really enjoy your break and come back feeling energised!
Taking time away from the office is a fantastic way to lower your stress levels, improve your productivity, and boost your mood. But if you aren’t careful, work problems can follow you and leave you feeling even more stressed than before you left.
Here are six things you should do at work before you leave to make your holiday as relaxing as possible.
1. Get on top of as much work as you can before you leave.
But make sure you are strategic with how you spend your time and prioritise accordingly. Make a to-do list of all your tasks and projects in the days and weeks leading up to your holiday and plan out what can realistically be done. This will ensure you avoid feeling stressed and rushed before you leave and return to a mountain of work!
2: Avoid major deadlines in the week you are back.
If you are leaving tasks and projects to be completed when you get back, provide realistic deadlines so that you don’t have to scramble when you get back. It’s important to allow yourself some days to get back into routine and catch up on what you have missed.
Future you will thank you!
3: Do a Handover.
Before you go, meet up with your team or person who will be covering you while you are away and do a proper handover. Your handover should include the status of any open projects and tasks, and how they might be able to assist you with your usual responsibilities while you are away. If you’re the only one who uses certain tools or platforms, it might also be a good idea to share some passwords with them.
Make sure you thank them when you return and get them to update you on anything you missed while you were away.
4: Uninstall work apps from your phone.
You’ve earned yourself a break, take it properly so that you come back more refreshed!
It can be tempting to check in and monitor what is happening but if you want to make the most of your break, turn off your emails and other communication channels so you can properly switch off.
If something urgently requires your attention, your colleagues will find a way to reach you.
5: Let your clients know.
If you’re in a customer-facing role, make sure you let your clients know how long you are going to be away and whom they can contact during that period.
6: Set up your out-of-office message.
Set up an outgoing auto-reply email message that says how long you’ll be away and whom to contact in your absence. You would be surprised how many people forget to do this!
For example:
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch. I am currently away from the office until [Date you return to work] with no access to emails.
If your matter is time sensitive, please contact [name] on [email address] otherwise I will respond when I return.
Thanks, and talk soon,
[Your name]
Trust us, there’s something so satisfying about pressing go on your out-of-office message!
7: Clean your desk
This step is not 100% necessary but one that makes returning to the office feel that much better!
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