Holidays are meant to be an opportunity to get away from the pressures of day to day life, but millions of people are unable to leave their work behind. A survey by Stark Brooks Associates, a recruitment consultant, showed 97% of holidaying business people took their mobile phones and 68% either a laptop or a Blackberry. Just over a third would not consider staying in a resort without wireless access.
Why is it bad for you?
Going on holiday is meant to be a time to relax and unwind, giving you a chance to rejuvenate before going back to work, more motivated and energised. However, with taking your blackberry or laptop with you, you still have the same stress on holiday, answering calls, emailing - the worries are never left behind. This is bad for your health, as by always working you are not giving your body a chance to recover from the stress of work. “It is really important to have a break from work to get a fresh perspective on old challenges and give your brain a chance to focus on something else,” says Andrea Gregory from People Business.
Holidays are an opportunity for families to spend time together. Being on your laptop or Blackberry means you never spend that quality family time with no distractions. This can cause tension within families. Melissa Compton-Edwards, author of the report Married to the Job, says that “while working long hours doesn't necessarily lead to marriage breakdown, it can put a strain on relationships with partners, children and friends.” Therefore making the effort to spend quality time with family without the distraction of your blackberry, would be more beneficial.
What to do to enjoy your holiday?
There are many steps you can follow to help you enjoy a stress-free holiday:
• Make sure you set an out of office message saying how long you are going to be away and who people can message. Do this for your voice mail as well.
• Take a shorter break; instead of a 2 week holiday just have a 10 day break. This way you have a couple of days at the beginning to prepare for your holiday and a couple of days afterwards, before you have to go back to work.
• Get someone to cover your urgent priorities and leave your hotel details in case of an emergency; this way you don’t need to worry as you know they will phone if there is a problem.
• If you have not cleared your desk before you go away, try to renegotiate your deadlines for the work you have not managed to complete. Then you won’t spend your holiday trying to get it done.
• If you do have to work while on holiday make sure you set yourself a strict timetable. Let your office know you’re only available for an hour at a certain time every day if they need to contact you.
• Make sure you set a good example. Employees tend to take a lead from their managers, so if their manager uses a phone on holiday, they will too as they feel they should. As a manager, you should show that it is okay to leave your phone behind and that you don’t expect them to do the same as you.
Why leave your Blackberry behind?
Not just you but your company will benefit as you will be more energised, relaxed, and motivated to start your work again, being more productive than you were when you left. It can also benefit your health and your family life. Why not give it a try and leave your work behind?
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