Who remembers when we weren’t expected to work on holiday? (Picture: Getty Images)
It wasn’t that long ago that working from anywhere was a bonafide luxury, reserved only for the luckiest of employees.
But the shift to remote working made it so many more of us can pack up our laptop and attend our weekly meetings from a sun-drenched balcony in the south of France, or answer a few work emails after while lounging by the pool.
And while this is, in many ways, a blessing, there was something nice about knowing your holidays were just that – holidays.
With the possibility to work from anywhere comes the feeling that we should work from anywhere. No longer is flying thousands of miles away an excuse not to get back to your boss.
It goes without saying that this is a recipe for burnout. So how do you prize yourself away from your work when you go abroad?
Experts from bespoke travel company Go2Africa have shared some useful advice.
Give yourself some space to enjoy life outside of work (Picture: Getty Images/fStop)
Practice before your holiday
If you’re someone who always has work-related notifications on, it might be a good idea to wean yourself off of 24/7 work ahead of the holiday, to help reduce anxiety.
‘Even when you love your job, having it constantly sneak into your down time can lead to resentment,’ Go2Africa’s experts say.
‘Take some time to try relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga after work each day, even if it’s just for half an hour, to begin to teach your brain to unwind.
‘The more you practise now, the easier you’ll find it to switch off when you’re on holiday.’
Turn off your devices
If you simply can’t help but unlock your phone and go straight to the email app (guilty as charged!), try to designate some time to switching your devices off while you’re away.
‘It can be difficult to leave the phone at home entirely, because of using it to get around, pay for things, and take photos, but removing certain apps is very important,’ say Go2Africa’s experts.
‘If you can, remove the email app and any other work-related communication apps from your home screen so you’re less tempted – and turn the notifications off.’
Also, set your out of office alert, that way people will know not to expect a response from you.
Schedule time to do nothing
Holidays are about relaxing, so make sure you give yourself time to do just that.
If you’re the type to try and cram your break with activities so you don’t ‘waste’ a second, think about the aftermath, where you feel like you need another holiday to recover once you’re back home.
‘Make some time for actual rest, whatever that looks like for you,’ Go2Africa’s experts say.
‘It could mean a day at the beach with a book you’ve been meaning to read for months, an afternoon aimlessly wandering around a town without an itinerary, sampling some local food, or just an hour each morning, sitting on the balcony enjoying the view.’
Clear your schedule and get some rest.
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Be prepared and plan in advance
Finally, make sure you plan in advance to limit the anxiety you might feel when you’re going away.
‘Tie up as many loose ends as you can before you go, and delegate tasks to other people so you know things will be taken care of while you’re away,’ say the Go2Africa team.
‘Make sure that your colleagues, clients, or anyone else who would need to know, is aware that you’re going to be out of the office and uncontactable well in advance, rather than them finding out from your out of office message.’
You’ll be chilled out – ideally with a chilled beverage in hand – in no time.
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Holidays are for relaxing.