Strategies to Reduce Anxiety Prior, During, and Post Your Holiday
Relaxation Without the Overload: A Guide to Stress-Free Vacations
Taking a break from work should be a delight, but for many, it's more of a burden, leaving them as stressed as those who never take a break at all. This unwarranted stress often keeps employees from taking their vacations, with some even leaving part of their hard-earned time off untouched.
This fear stems mostly from the fear of a mountain of work pre-vacation and upon return. Vacation, unfortunately, becomes a source of anxiety instead of relaxation. Here's a roadmap to minimize this stress and maximize productivity.
Before the Whistle-Stop:
Planning ahead is key to a stress-free vacation. Here's how to get ready:
Relaxation on Tap:
Incorporate daily meditation into your routine. It's a great way to reduce stress even on regular workdays. Spend a few moments imagining a peaceful vacation while you're at it. Positive visualization will help keep your spirits high and calm as you follow the rest of the steps.
Prioritize:
Make a to-do list of essential tasks that need to be completed before your departure. Share this with your team leader for feedback and approval. Use the input to set your priorities and design your work schedule for the remainder of your time at work. While new tasks or opportunities may arise, focus solely on your list to minimize additional stress.
Inform:
Keep your team members and clients in the loop about your vacation duration, so they handle any work requiring your input or intervention independently. Add it to the email footer for simplicity. Informing others about your availability will show them you're committed both to your work and personal life.
Delegate and Cooperate:
Identify who can best take care of the work that needs to continue during your absence. Inform your customers or clients about the arrangements, where necessary. Extend the same courtesy to your teammates when needed. Acknowledge their efforts with a follow-up email expressing gratitude and providing helpful information to ease their workload.
Tidy Up:
A clean desk is a reflection of a clear mind. A well-organized workspace makes for a perfect stress buster upon your return.
Email on Autopilot:
Compose an automatic out-of-office reply, informing the sender that you're unavailable and that they can route urgent matters to your designated standby team member. Kindly request their patience and understanding and ask them to reach out when you're back so that you can immediately address their concerns. This will help ease the workload on your standby teammate and, in turn, will be appreciated.
Back from a Break:
By preparing well ahead of your departure, returning to work will be relatively stress-free, even if you didn't prioritize before your vacation. Here are some strategies to make your resumption less hectic:
Plan it Out:
Instead of diving headfirst into all the pending tasks, take some time to make a list of priorities. Take a look at your overall work situation, discuss your priorities with your team leader and your standby teammate, then strategize your approach. Knowing your priorities will help you remain relaxed and tackle your work effectively.
Refocus:
Be prepared to reevaluate your priorities. The goals you had before your vacation might not be suitable upon your return, and you should be flexible enough to adjust your priorities as needed. Thank your teammate for holding down the fort, and take their input on what needs immediate attention.
Everybody deserves a break. Vacations shouldn't be a source of extra stress but rather something to look forward to. By following some simple steps, you can manage the stress before, during, and after your vacation while maximizing your productivity.
How to Minimize Stress Before, During, and After Your Vacationby Tristan Elizabeth GribbinHBR 2018/09
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