If you’re anything like me, you love and look forward to the summer weather. I enjoy the adventures that happen during the summer months, the beach trips, mountain hikes, spontaneous nighttime walks for ice cream. I always tease my family that we live in the wrong region and want more of these warm days/nights. What’s better than summer? Summer vacations!
Recently, I was at the beach and happened to notice most of the people around my blanket were all using their phones in some capacity. Some were streaming music to a Bluetooth speaker, texting friends, inevitably on some form of social media, or potentially checking email. I’ve witnessed similar scenes at the tops of mountains, restaurants, etc. I have also been found guilty in those same situations.
Getting a break from the office is necessary for that work/life balance that we all try to achieve. Technology can make it more difficult to achieve that balance. Everything that we’re aiming to take a break from is so easily accessible from a small, tempting, addicting device. So, do you really fully disconnect on your vacations?
Prior to leaving the office for a much needed and anticipated vacation, I set an out of office message on my email. The details are always when I’ll be away and whom to contact if something cannot wait for me to return. However, I am the guilty party that checks that “unattended” email multiple times during that vacation. I flag the ones I want to respond to first when I return or forward along to a colleague if they can easily help. I don’t like coming into the office after a break to hundreds of emails. However, I’m also breaking up my leisure time with work. One could argue that I didn’t really get a break from the office if I was checking in over the vacation (or weekend). I have a friend that actually removes the work email setup from her phone during her vacations and sets it back up upon her return. This creates enough of a barrier that she won’t go through the trouble to set up the connection just to check email.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love and appreciate technology. I think it does make life easier and more convenient. It’s my pocket computer, GPS, camera, and phone. I also realize that I need balance and that is a daily challenge. To start, the next time I go to the beach, I’ll leave my phone in the car.
I hear you. I am guilty too. I like both suggestions: “removes the work email setup from her phone” and leaving the phone in the car or home.