Unplugging: Is that Really a Question These Days?

To read or not read your email on vacation...that is the question.

Be honest. Do you check your work email on vacation?

If you do, don't feel bad. I'm with you. I admit I'm among the 62% ( according to a new travel poll) who say they can't unplug from their work email.

I tried. I really tried. I dutifully scheduled an away message on my email telling the world I was out of the office for a week.

Did I abide by my own message that I was gone? Bye, bye, bye? No, no, no.

I got through the first weekend okay. But Monday morning? I'm thinking what am I missing? What's slipping through the cracks if I don't respond?

I went to the beach, did Zumba dancing with my daring family, read a stack of novels, worked on my thesis a bit....but. I. Could. Not. Stop. Checking. My. Email.

How bad is that?

Depends. My research shows experts are kind of split on this.

Some say if you're checking your email you really aren't recharging your batteries as you should on your much-needed vacation. Right?

But others say we get stressed out thinking about all the emails we will have to go through when we get back, so better to check them with some guidelines.

A few ideas floating out there:

• Read, but don't respond. (Really? I like this idea but then you have to remember to respond later. I dunno about that one.)
• Read and respond quickly...once in the morning, once at night and "let it go, let it go...", as the song goes, the rest of the time. (This ended up being my compromise move)
• Go somewhere with no cell or Internet service. Something that forces you to QUIT CHECKING YOUR EMAIL!!!

I will tell you, something strange happened on day 6 of my vacation. I forgot! I forgot to check my email and when I remembered, I didn't want to check my email.

Finally, totally relaxed and chill from 6 days on the beach...I don't wanna. And now the thought of catching up when I get back...NOOOOOOO

So here's the deal. If you emailed me last week, well, you might have already heard from me because I'm like most Americans who can't quit on vacation.

If you didn't hear from me, it's because I finally mentally made it to Margaritaville (sans margaritas)...you get the picture...palm trees, breeze, searching for my lost shaker of salt?

Not to worry!

I will be back to my normal email answering self momentarily..and just in case you are wondering, I feel totally refreshed, really...I'm good to go!

So, tell me, how do you do your vacation email?

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This article was originally posted on LuAnnCahn.com.

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