What to think about before leaving for a vacation
Vacation is a great time for hard-working employees to take time from their busy schedules to relax and recharge from their jobs. Whether they are looking at cheap holidays from Newcastle or they are leaning more towards the luxurious, employees need to have that break so they can relax.
Preparing for a stress-free vacation isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be. With numerous deadlines, meetings, and endless emails hanging over our heads, it can be difficult to break away from work to enjoy vacation time. However, by allowing yourself some time for recuperation, you’ll be able to greatly improve your productivity when you return to work especially if you’ll be able to experience these luxury European train tours here.
If you’ve been planning to take some time off from work, here are five questions to ask yourself before leaving on vacation:
What priorities do I need to accomplish before leaving?
First things first, what needs to be finished before you leave? Make yourself a to-do list of everything that needs to be accomplished before you check out for the week. It’s a good idea to begin making this list at least a month in advance to help you plan accordingly. This to-do list will help you determine what needs to be done and stay on top of important deadlines.
What does my calendar look like?
As you continue to plan ahead for your vacation, take a moment to look at your calendar. Sometimes, it’s possible you could have scheduled some appointments so far in advance that you forgot about them when you requested your vacation. Check your calendar to see if you have any meetings scheduled during your vacation. If you do, contact your colleagues and ask if you can reschedule the meeting for when you return.
Who do I need to notify?
Before heading out, make sure you inform the right people about your absence. After talking to your supervisor and getting the time off approved, figure out if any projects need to be reassigned to your coworkers or completed ahead of time. In addition, don’t always assume your coworkers will know what to do in your absence. Make a list of instructions they can refer to in the case something comes up while you’re gone.
How reachable do I want to be?
Although you’ll be on vacation, you need to remember the rest of the world keeps on moving. If you know you can’t completely stay away from your email or phone, determine a point at which it’s okay for people to contact you. On the other hand, if you plan on going as far off the radar as possible during your vacation, figure out who people can contact in your absence. This will help you make sure you don’t miss a beat while you’re gone.
What do I need to do when I return?
No matter how much you plan ahead and the extra hours you work, you should prepare yourself to be bombarded with emails, voicemails, meetings, and new projects when you come back from vacation. Sometimes, it isn’t always possible to accomplish everything in advance before you leave. Make yourself a list of deadlines you’ll have when your return and prioritize each task as needed. When you do come back to the office, you should also take your first day to get yourself re-organized. This will help you get caught up on everything before you jump into the meetings and projects waiting for you.
Vacation is meant to be a time for you to relax and have some fun. It’s important for you to be able to fully enjoy your vacation without your phone going off every five minutes or having to constantly check your email. With a little careful planning, you’ll be able to prepare yourself for a relaxing and stress-free vacation.
What do you think is important to think about before leaving for vacation?
By: Olivia Adams
