HOW TO UNWIND FROM WORK

HOW TO UNWIND FROM WORK

As I sit here on day three of my holiday, I’ve come to realize how difficult it is to truly unwind from work, whether it’s the frequent email check, or the occasional ‘reminder note’ to someone back in the office, or simply just finding your mind wondering about your clients or all the things awaiting your return. It really is hard to switch off.

I’m clearly no seasoned professional when it comes to switching off, clearly, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve which do help me to try to leave my work brain at home, and actually relax when I’m away in the sunshine.

So today, I thought I’d share my top tips for unwinding from work and generally giving your brain and body a little relaxation.

5 TIPS TO HELP YOU UNWIND FROM WORK

#1 LIMIT YOUR PHONE USE

The first tip is kind of obvious, but actually quite hard to do in reality. But if we’re honest with ourselves, the route of the problem to this 24.7 working mantra is of course our best friend the mobile phone. As much as this little devise has been a wonder to our worlds, it’s also been a trigger in ‘non stop’ work mentality. Whilst I too can’t resist a little holiday instagram, and a whatsapp to the boy back home, having your phone on you all the time makes it all to easy to not actually ‘stop’ and take a moment away from our busy lives back home. More than that, it stops you enjoying the place you’re visiting. So as much as possible, put your phone down, sunnies on, and take time to enjoy real life.

#2 TURN OFF YOUR EMAILS

It’s so hard to fully switch off from work and blogging when your emails are constantly flowing in, and urgent is written all on every email title, so the best way to actually leave work behind is to simply turn your emails off. For one whole week.

#3 DO A BIG HANDOVER

Of course the way to enable you to keep your emails off, clients happy and team going, is to do a proper handover before you leave work for your holidays (or even the weekend). Be sure to leave all your work in a good place, handover projects that will need support whilst you’re away, inform your clients, your team and anyone else that may need to know, that you will be away and picking up emails and work on your return. Put an out of office on your email account, and properly go on ‘annual leave’. It’s all too easy to leave deliverables looming for your return, or forget to let people know … but the better you manage things before you leave, the better they’ll be while you’re away, and importantly when you return too.

#4 KEEP DISTRACTED

I know how hard it is to switch your brain off … when you’re used to running at 100 miles an hour, all day, everyday, it’s hard to actually let your brain stop whirling and whizzing around ideas, to do lists and the dreaded worry. Being on holiday, whilst it’s a necessity to relax, can also be a nightmare for the busy bodies like me, and most the time no matter how hard I try I always end up doing something ‘work like’ to keep my brain active. I simply cannot relax enough to do nothing (unless of course it’s napping on a sun lounger). Whether it’s reading back to back and getting through 4 books in a week, spending hours thinking up blog concepts or features (seriously some of my best blog ideas, blog strategies or design concepts have come from my brainstorms on holiday), or simply occupying myself with cards & cocktails. Unlike my body (which will happily lay on a sun lounger all day long), my brain likes to be active, so having non work related things to do is key.

#5 DON’T WORRY

Most importantly of all, don’t worry. The whole point of having a break is to enjoy yourself, relax and to live a little … what’s the worst that could happen! Work will be there when you return, and your life outside of work is important too … so look after yourself, make sure you have a break, and do not waste your time worrying.

“Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life”

It’s always easier said than done, but i urge you all to put in a little effort to ‘breaking’ from work and work pressures, unwind and enjoy your time off. After all we only live once and so why waste it worrying and stressed, when you could be happy and chilled.

I’d love to hear your experiences of unwinding from work while you’re away? Do you struggle like me? What are your tips?