OUT OF OFFICE: How to Prepare for Vacation - the Smart Way

I hear it all the time: “It’s just too much work to take a vacation!”

Getting ready for vacation is hard. You may need to reschedule appointments, figure out who’s going to take care of pets, water the plants, and collect the mail. Then there is the packing. If you’re traveling with your family, you must make sure they have everything they need before you can even consider what you’d like to pack for yourself.

Not to mention planning the trip—transportation, accommodations, activities all with extra steps due to COVID.

And then there is work. Projects to complete, an inbox to clear, colleagues and clients to connect with before you can leave.

At this point you are probably wondering if taking a vacation is worth the time and energy.

I get it! Vacation prep can feel overwhelming.

However, taking a vacation is absolutely ESSENTIAL for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. It can boost your energy, productivity, happiness, and even your creativity. Did you know Lin-Manual Miranda dreamt up Hamilton during vacation?

You need to take time to recharge.

And there’s a better way to prepare for vacation that won’t cause you stress.

What to Do at Work Before Going on Vacation

It’s best to carve out about 3 weeks to prepare and plan for your vacation. This gives you plenty of time to (calmly) get yourself, your family, and your work life organized before your departure.

Use the strategies below to ensure a relaxing and stress-free vacation and a smooth, stress-free post-vacation re-entry.

• Review all projects and tasks that need to be complete before departure. Instead of writing down all the “want-to-do” tasks, focus on the things that absolutely must get done. ??
• Communicate with your colleagues. Let them know the status of any projects that impact them, and make sure they know what to do while you’re gone. Set the expectation that people won’t be able to get ahold of you.
• Determine contingency plans. Determine who is responsible for your daily work, active projects, and your clients. Discuss how the team will handle emergencies while you are away.
• Write an out-of-office email response. This should include the dates of your absence as well as a list of colleagues to contact for various questions and issues. If you’d like to take it a step further, add your dates of absence into your email signature a week or more ahead of time. After your name, simply say something like “Note: I will be out of the office June 14-20.”
• Communicate with any clients, vendors, or other key stakeholders. Remind them you’ll be gone and to make sure they know who to contact if they need something during your vacation.
• Book a meeting with yourself for the first morning you return to the office. This is your dedicated “catch up time” to process email, return calls, and connect with colleagues and clients.

How to Organize Your Personal and Family Life Before a Vacation

In the three-week period that you’ve carved out for vacation prep, there’s lots to do at home, too. ?Follow the suggestions below to eliminate pre-vacation chaos and stress.

• Inventory your vacation supplies ahead of time. Do you or any family members need new clothes or swimsuits? Do you have sunscreen? Do you need to get reading material for the trip? Snacks for the car or airplane? You want your vacation to be special and memorable, not fraught with stress from items that you forgot to bring.
• Prepare your home for departure. A few weeks ahead of time, make plans for your pets. Figure out if you need anyone to water the plants or get the mail and newspaper.
• Confirm your plans are in place for travel, accommodations, and any excursions. Keep all your plans organized in a notebook, folder, or on your phone to ensure you have all your reservations and other information handy.

Go Forth and Relax!

Don’t let anything stand between you and your next vacation. Set aside the right amount of time, dedication, and organization so you can truly unplug. Enjoy!

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