STOP Checking Your Email on Vacation

As we cruise into the second half of summer (holy cow…how did that happen?!), the out-of-offices are on and folks are checked out.?(I recently took a 5-day vacation and have plans for another week in August.) What is interesting to me is the belief of some that they need to work or check email in the mornings or evenings while on vacation.??

I guess my question is – why in Pete’s name would you want to check email on your vacation?

What better time to check out, spend time with loved ones, learn about new things, read books, watch movies, or explore the outdoors??Where in that equation does email come into play??Email is a fact of life and part of doing business.?But it’s also a time suck and can be the source of problems, issues that need resolving, etc.?And while we all love getting an email that gives us a contract award, those are not an hourly occurrence (or even daily, heck even weekly!).?The odds that a huge opportunity was just awarded to you and you had to check your email to find out is extremely low.?Besides that, someone else on your team will find out and give you the heads up.??

Embrace walking away from the company this summer.?Embrace being truly present for your hard-earned vacation.?Burn out is undeniably real.?One way to reduce stress, increase your happiness and just generally be a better person is to explore the world and be 100% in the moment.?Sure, your mind will wander towards work off and on, but the farther you are from your inbox and checking in, the more relaxed you will be.?More relaxed = more creative and more recharged.?And isn’t that the point of vacation time?

When people ask if they can get to me while I’m out, the answer is simple: No.?There is nothing that only I can handle within our organizations.?And in fact, my team is way better than I am at 99.9% of the things.?They are fully empowered to handle whatever is thrown their way,?and I have 100% confidence in them.?Which allows me to go on vacation without worry, without checking in and without email.??

It took several years to get to this state (probably 4 or 5), but it’s been my current mojo for at least the past 5 years.?Vacation means a rest from the day-to-day grind.?It’s a time to recharge and come back swinging.?It’s also a time to truly trust your team to act without you.?If you are in a position of leadership and you have employees who are not empowered or that you don’t trust while you are gone, it’s your failure as a leader.?Hire better or figure out why you won’t empower them.??

My best advice – know thyself.?I take email, Teams, and LinkedIn off my phone completely to go on vacation.?Just knowing it’s on my phone will lead to me checking it.?So, I delete the apps.?I add them back on my first workday back…not the evening before.??

Empower your teams, go off the grid and get the mental clarity and goodness that vacations bring so you come back a better leader.??

Stephanie Alexander is the founder and CEO of BOOST LLC, a company that’s dedicated to helping to support government contractors with their back-office functions and needs.?She is also co-founder of govmates, a technology scouting tool with over 5,000 small innovative businesses on the platform.

Head to BOOST LLC’s website to find out how Stephanie and her team can help you grow and succeed, or register for free at govmates to be eligible for teaming opportunities.