Greetings from North Carolina! I’m enjoying a nice vacation with my family in the beautiful southern state. I love vacations not only for the family time and relaxation, but also because it gives me the reflection and planning time I need for my business.
A few days ago, my husband said that every time he looked over at me, I was on my phone or my iPad. I wasn’t really enjoying my time away because I was too preoccupied. I know many experts say you should completely disconnect when you’re on vacation, but I find that unrealistic. I would feel stressed the entire vacation if I didn’t fit in some work. However, after my husband’s comment, I knew I needed to set some boundaries.
I decided I would only work during the two hours when the kids are (hopefully) napping. The rest of the time I would be completely present with my family and really enjoy our time together. I already have some of these boundaries set up back home, and they’ve worked really well to ensure I’m not overdoing it at work. For example, I don’t work or check emails after 8 p.m. on weekdays, and at all on Sundays.
One practice I will be implementing when I get home is to reserve two work days per month with no appointments or meetings. These two days will be my time for planning and thinking. Rather than overload my schedule, I will make it a priority to have some downtime to generate ideas.
I’d love to hear from you. Do you find it hard to disconnect on vacation? What are some of the things you do to set boundaries?
Naptime is almost over, so I’ve got to go!
