6 in 10 Employees Can’t Unplug on Holidays: Here’s How to Take a Real Break
Do the holidays feel less like a break and more like just another workweek? You’re not alone.
A recent survey by a communications firm Movchan Agency found that 59% of employees struggle to disconnect from work on vacation, and nearly half (47%) admit to feeling guilty when stepping away during the holidays. Even worse, 63% experience anxiety when they don’t check their emails, and half go so far as to cancel plans just to squeeze in work.
The result? Burnout, stress, and holidays that don’t feel like holidays at all.
To help you truly log off and recharge this festive season, Avery Morgan, Chief Human Resources Officer at EduBirdie shares her tips to leave work stress-free with us:
1. Clear your task list
Don’t just glance at your to-dos, go deeper. Make a quick audit of everything you’re juggling and split it into three piles: “finish today,” “hand over,” and “ignore until I’m back.” Finish what you can, but don’t waste time trying to be a hero. For the tasks that won’t get done, write a one-liner about where they’re at. Something like, “Waiting on approval from the legal team, should come by Thursday” or “Drafted, needs final edits.” That’s all anyone stepping in needs to know, and it keeps you from being the team bottleneck.
2. Nail the handover
A solid handover isn’t just emailing someone a vague “FYI, you’re covering this.” First, figure out who’s actually best equipped to handle your stuff—not just whoever is free. Then give them what they need to succeed: key deadlines, weird client quirks, or even things like “Don’t email Susan after 3 PM; she never checks her inbox after that.” Keep it direct, and if you’re using shared tools, link everything they’ll need in one place. Bonus points if you warn them about any disasters waiting to happen, like that one vendor who always forgets to attach invoices.
3. Set up solid boundaries
Your out-of-office reply isn’t just a formality, it’s a boundary of your privacy. Skip the fluffy “Thanks for your email!” and get real. Say when you’ll be back, and if anyone else can help while you’re gone, name them directly. Something like, “If this is about the campaign launch, reach out to Jake; he’s got it covered.” Internally, tell your team when you’ll actually be reachable. And if you’re worried people might still slide into your DMs, mute notifications or delete the app altogether until you’re back.
4. Double-check everything
Take 10 minutes to do a final sweep. Open your inbox and search for phrases like “following up” or “waiting on”б because these are the things people will hound you for later if they’re not sorted. Check your calendar for meetings you forgot to reschedule or deadlines you might’ve ignored. And don’t just hope your files are in the right folder, double-check that everyone has access so no one has to text you for it at 8 AM on your day off.
5. Log off for real
Here’s the tough part: actually leaving work behind. Once your tasks are wrapped, handovers are sent, and auto-replies are on, commit. Mute work apps, turn off notifications, and resist the urge to “just check in.” If you’ve done your prep right, trust the systems (and the people) you’ve set up. Logging off is part of your job too, so give yourself the space to recharge. If something really burns down while you’re gone, you’ll hear about it anyway, but trust me, 99% of the time, it’ll all be fine without you.