Ask a Career Advisor: How Can I Fully Unplug While on Vacation?

Taking time off from work to enjoy a vacation – whether during the summer, around the holidays, or whenever you feel like it – is key to maintaining your physical and mental health, productivity, engagement, and more. Yet, it can be hard to stay fully present on vacation in our “always-on” world with devices that keep us connected so easily – for better or for worse – to our workplaces.

If you struggle with disconnecting from work or unplugging while on vacation, check out this expert advice from iHire’s Certified Career Coach and Advisor, Lori Cole.

How to Unplug on Vacation: Plan Ahead

Your first step is to look at your list of work projects and priorities a few weeks before your vacation. Hopefully, you’ve booked your time off well in advance and can plan ahead for what needs to be done before you leave and shortly after you return.

“It’ll be really hard to disconnect from work if you leave things unfinished, or know you have a major project due as soon as you get back. Have a clear understanding of what you need to accomplish before your vacation, adjust due dates and priorities if necessary, and block off time on your calendar on your last day to wrap up loose ends,” advised Cole.

If there are things you won’t be able to get to before you unplug for vacation, or if there are daily tasks that can’t be put on hold in your absence, delegate them to your manager or team members.

Prepare Coworkers to Cover for You

“Work life will go on while you’re away, and that’s what your coworkers are for!” said Cole. “Ask them to cover for you so you aren’t constantly worried about what’s going on at the office while you’re on vacation.”

Depending on how your team is structured, you may have someone who can easily step in for you. On the other hand, you may need to provide some cross-training in certain tasks. Either way, prepare your colleagues ahead of time so they know what to expect.

Make it as easy as possible for your teammates, and be sure to return the favor and cover for them when they take time off.

Set Up Email Autoreplies & Update Your Voicemail Greeting

“Creating an out of office reply for your email inbox is one of the easiest steps you can take before unplugging from work,” said Cole. “Your reply should include when you’ll be accessing your inbox again, along with whom the person emailing you should contact if they need assistance in your absence.”

For example, your autoreply could be:

“Thank you for reaching out. I am currently out of the office and will be responding to email beginning on [return date]. If you need assistance sooner, please contact [name] at [email address]. Have a great day!”

Similar to setting up email autoreplies, also change your voicemail greeting so those who call while you’re away know you’re out of the office.

“Your voicemail greeting could be something simple like, ‘You have reached the voicemail box of Lori Cole. I’m currently out of the office and will be responding to voice messages on August 15. Please contact John at extension 101 if you need anything in my absence,’” Cole suggested.

You’ve set an expectation of when you’ll be returning calls and emails and given people the opportunity to contact someone else if necessary. No need to plug in!

How to Unplug From Work: Disconnect Apps & Turn Off Notifications

Finally, take the necessary steps to disconnect whatever devices you’re taking with you from work-related apps so you don’t get alerts and aren’t tempted to check in.

“Even if you intend just to read emails for a few minutes, you could easily get sucked into replying and spending hours of your vacation on work,” Cole said. “The same goes for apps like Teams or Slack. Turn off those notifications so you aren’t distracted by conversations while you’re unplugged.”

Now that you know how to unplug from work while on vacation, you’ll be able to fully enjoy your time away and return to the office refreshed and reenergized!

Get even more advice from our career pros in our Resource Center, and check out additional workplace tips for excelling in your career.