Break the Connection Addiction

The kids are out of school, or almost out— at least in the US. Work is at least a little less crazy. And your thoughts turn to planning a family getaway.

But, that lingering thought of “can I afford to be away from work for a week” continues to hang with us. One of the things I realized over the last several years is that the best summer vacation is to actually take a vacation. A full vacation. And not just a long weekend vacation.

You and I need time away from our normal routines. The need for a vacation is very real. Studies continue to show that productivity and creativity increase when there is planned time away from the daily stress and distractions of getting things done.

Various countries call this time away various things. In the US, it’s a vacation. In many parts of the world, it is a holiday. We have recess in school. The military calls it leave.

So far this year I have planned and taken two breaks. The first in early January was to an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. The picture above is the beach from our daily spot. I read several books. I napped. We never left the resort property.

The second was a working retreat at a friend’s cabin in Colorado. I had several projects I wanted to complete. Being away from the daily distractions of life helped me focus on the specific tasks I wanted to complete. And it worked! I have a new product launching this week because of the focused time I spent that week.

My experience is convincing me that — if you want to be more productive — you need to get away and take time to change your environment, rest, relax, and rejuvenate.

We just don’t do this well in the US. We are at the bottom of the list of the average number of days employees take for vacation with 13. The highest is Italy with 42 holiday days. Even Japan, known for long working hours, has 25 days off.

Here are some tips for how to make the most of your planned time away.

Unplug if you can: For employees at larger organizations this may be easier to pull off than a small business or the self-employed. It’s easy to set an out-of-office email reply to tell people that you’re gone for the week and offering them an alternative contact person if they need something right away.

Plan focused work time: If you’re someone like me who is a small business owner, not checking in at all may be more difficult to actually pull off. I plan my work time. I’m an early riser — generally much earlier than my wife. When I’m away I use this early morning time to complete the two or three major items that I feel I need to get done that day. That frees up the rest of the day for “vacation time.” I find this focused time allows me to be very productive.

Leave your devices in the room: Too many of us are addicted to being connected. This is the time to consciously unplug from the outside world. Remember, you have scheduled time first thing in the morning (or whatever time is best for you) to make sure the truly urgent items can be handled.

In an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review, Ndubuisi Ekekwe wrote, “There’s an assumption that using smart devices boosts productivity, since they allow us to work constantly. But, we’re also jeopardizing long-term productivity by eliminating predictable time off that ensures balance in our lives.”

Focus on your family: Vacations are a great time to connect with your family — whatever that might look like for you. Play games with your kids. Plan family outings. This could be to the beach, hiking, or whatever else you can think of that just might create a memorable experience. My friend Ken Davis wrote a great article on 10 Guidelines for Making Vacation Faces, Happy Faces!

The most valuable and productive time you can spend just might be taking a summer vacation to unplug and connect with those who are most important to you. Enjoy!

Steve Anderson is an authority on insurance agency technology. He is a prolific writer known for his knack for translating “geek speak” into easily understood concepts. Check out his free weekly newsletter “TechTips” and other resources for the insurance industry on his website.

For 50+ more summer favorites from Influencers, check out the full Influencer Summer Guide here. Photo: Steve Anderson