We are on a mini-vacation this week, headed to a friend’s wedding in Arkansas.
I took the entire week off from my job to prepare, pack, clean out the car and get us on the road for the 10-hour journey.
On Monday, I set off to check each item on my list, and was sucked back into work - answering phone calls, emails and “urgent” text messages from my office that really could have waited. By the time I finished with my non-work day, it was dinner time and I hadn’t prepared a thing for our trip.
On Tuesday, I woke up determined to tune out my office and tune in to my family. By noon, I was finally able to turn off my computer, though the text messages kept rolling in. And when I tried to ignore them, the text buzz turned to phone calls.
And on Wednesday, the day we were scheduled to leave as soon as school let out, I had three days’ worth of tasks left to complete. And, I was exhausted. We postponed our departure and my husband and I worked through the night to wash clothes, dishes, pack the car, prep the dogs and re-schedule hotel reservations.
I had let my job win. Now, sure, there are times when you can’t put your work aside. Even when you are scheduled to be out for the day, you really need to answer that email or place that phone call. This, however, was not one of those times. I let my co-workers pull me back in. They didn’t feel like waiting and they knew I would cave.
So, on Thursday, I turned off the computer. And I didn’t even pack it. Did you hear that? I didn’t bring my laptop. Gasp, the horror. I know. And, I turned off my phone. Off, completely - didn’t even use it to take photos. I carried an actual camera.
It. Felt. Awesome.
We spent the entire day talking to our kids, well, yelling at our kids really and telling them no, we are not there yet, but I didn’t speak with a co-worker for the entire day. The entire day!
I didn’t check my email. I didn’t wonder who needed what. I just let it go.
And to be a productive employee, when you take those vacation days, you actually need to go on vacation – and turn off the phone. And the text. And the email.
You need to allow yourself to take a break. To walk away. To spend time with your family that isn’t peppered by you answering texts and emails on your phone. There is a time to be an employee and a time to be a mom and a wife.
It took me three days to realize I was using my vacation hours to hang out with my job. Make sure you use your vacation hours to leave the job behind.
