Posted by Picture the scene: you’re on holiday, on a lounger by the pool, enjoying the sun. You’ve got a cold drink in your hand, and a great book half-read beside you. Suddenly, your phone starts buzzing with a work email. Do you ignore it, or do you find yourself automatically reaching for it just to check (which then ends up taking an hour out of your day)?
Being honest, most of us have been that person frantically tapping out replies while our family waits impatiently nearby for us to join in the fun – I know I have.
But is that doing us more harm than good? Statistics show that people who can completely disconnect during their time off aren’t just happier – they’re more productive when they return to work. So why are we all so afraid to take time off work, and what can we do about it? To start with, let’s take a look at what’s stopping us from switching off.
Overtime is overrated
First and foremost, I think it’s fair to say that we live in a culture that glorifies having your nose to grindstone, heaping praise on the person who works weekends, answers emails at midnight, and hasn’t taken a proper holiday in years (and loves to tell you that).
But our brains need rest to process information, form new neural pathways, and consolidate memories, so when we’re constantly working, we’re actually stopping our minds from doing their best work. It’s a bit like trying to charge your phone while it’s running tons of apps – it might seem like productivity, but it’s actually draining the battery faster.
No-one’s indispensable
A lot of people want to believe that work will completely fall apart if they’re not there, and that’s down to their egos running the show and them needing to feel important.
If you taking a week off would genuinely cause chaos, it’s not a sign of how valuable you are – it’s a sign of poor systems and delegation. You’ve either created an environment where nothing can function without your constant input, or you’re convinced that you’re more important than you actually are.
If you feel like can’t step away for a week without everything collapsing, be honest – have you created a flawed workplace, or is your ego getting too much airtime?
A break doesn’t mean breaking the bank
When most people think about a holiday, they picture expensive flights and fancy hotels, and right now those are luxuries that not many people can justify financially. But the most important part of any break isn’t the destination; it’s the disconnection. You can have a refreshing time off exploring your own city with fresh eyes, or even just creating proper boundaries at home where work simply doesn’t exist.
That’s become particularly important post-Pandemic, especially since hybrid working has become more common – if your workplace is also your home, how do you switch off? The key there is to create proper boundaries between worktime and downtime – even if that means hiding your laptop in a cupboard!
Switching your brain off
The beauty of a proper holiday – one where you’re not sneaking off to check your emails every couple of hours – goes far beyond just catching up on sleep.
You never get your best ideas when you’re desperately trying to think of them, right? You’ll be stuck on a problem for weeks, then suddenly the answer hits you in the shower, or while you’re out for a run.
It happens because your brain has finally got the space it needs to crack on without you stressing… it’s like the mental equivalent of the watched pot never boiling.
By taking a week or two off and not consciously thinking about the problems you’re trying to solve, you might find that the solutions suddenly appear out of nowhere.
You’re not being lazy
Do you feel guilty about taking time off? We’ve been conditioned to believe that productivity or being busy equals being important, and that rest equals laziness.
Ask yourself where that guilt comes from. Is it something you’ve learned about what it means to be ‘successful’? Is it pressure from others, or pressure you’re putting on yourself?
You have to remember that your energy and attention are finite resources that need to be managed strategically, otherwise you’re heading for burnout – and then you’ll be away for your desk for a lot longer than a week, and it won’t be nearly as much fun.
But if you’re that worried about the practical side of things, there are always ways to set yourself up for success.
Proper planning
If you’re still not convinced that you taking time off work is going to cause the Apocalypse, then you can at least put some measures in place to try and mitigate any stress and interruptions.
Make sure you’ve handed over any outstanding work properly, with clear notes. If you have to be available, set clear boundaries about when that is, and commit to only checking your emails once a day at a set time. After all, the people who are going to be most impacted are your family.
I’ve talked before about being in Spain, on my birthday, chained to my desk trying to save a deal whilst my family were outside enjoying my party without me. At the time, I thought there was nothing more important than closing the deal, but now with hindsight I know that I can’t get that time with my family back, that I should have been putting them first.
Don’t undo all the good work
Of course, it’s not just about the getting away. You’ve also got to set yourself up properly for coming back. After all, opening your laptop to 500 emails and a packed schedule is the fastest way to undo all the benefits of your time away.
Build buffer time into your schedule to ease back in – block out the morning of your first day back to catch up on what you’ve missed, so you don’t get stuck in meetings before you’ve even had time to open your inbox.
Don’t work late into the night on your first days back trying to catch up, and delegate anything that isn’t critical – the last thing you need is to run yourself down again within a week of getting back to your desk.
Holiday homework
So here’s my challenge to you: Look at your calendar right now. When is your next proper break scheduled? Not a long weekend where you’ll catch up on things, but actual time away from work where you can reconnect with yourself, your loved ones, and what matters most to you.
If you can’t see it on your calendar, put something in right now. Your health is your wealth, and investing in rest isn’t selfish – it’s strategic.
The most successful people out there have mastered the art of switching off because they understand that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is absolutely nothing at all.
So stop making excuses, book that time off, and remember – the work will still be there when you get back. But the opportunity to truly recharge? That’s something you have to create for yourself.