Whether you’ve just been on vacation or you have one coming up, here’s a question: were you (or will you be) able to disconnect from your work as completely as you’d like?
If you’re one of the very few who can honestly answer Yes, congratulations! However, if you’re like most of us, you have mixed emotions about your Smartphone while on vacation. It’s a constant (cursed) reminder of the work you’re supposed to be leaving behind, yet being separated from your device for too long creates anxiety (if not clinical withdrawal).
As I’ve written previously, the inexorable trend is that of increased digital connectivity, so it’s becoming increasingly important to exercise boundaries that protect your private, non-work time.
I recently heard an interview with William Powers, the author of the new book, Hamlet’s Blackberry. He and his family uphold an “Internet Sabbath” every weekend. They keep the TV and video games and regular cell phones available; their goal is to create more space and time for themselves as individuals and as a family so they nix the net, text, and email. His description of how this approach has enriched their lives (even his kids’ lives and his kids’ friends!) is inspiring.
And this past week, a client forwarded this excellent article about how to unplug when on vacation:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/02/vacation.unplugging/index.html?hpt=C1. It contains several realistic strategies for beating back digital encroachment while you’re away.
Obviously, there are circumstances that can justify your choice to be available for some clearly predefined situations, but these should be rare and of a much higher threshold than routine work. And yes, you have to plan more effective coverage prior to your vacation so that routine communication gets handled in your absence.
So, if you’ve just been on vacation, I encourage you to reflect on whether you – and the people with you – were happy with the amount of time you spent with your device on work-related matters. If you’re getting ready for a late-summer or fall vacation, challenge yourself to set some goals around how much time and under what circumstances you’ll be interacting with email and voicemail and text messages.
Ask yourself if that email is more important than the beautiful sunset or the look on your daughter’s face when makes her mini-golf hole-in-one.
