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It’s undeniable that it feels nearly impossibly to completely unplug from our lives, no matter where we are.
Think about it. How many times have you woken up in the morning and rolled over to check your work email on your phone?
Or think about when you’re on vacation. How often do you hop on social media on and go through your newsfeed?
Do you check your notifications or your calendar when you’re out to dinner with family? Or even on a date?
In a working world where there seems to be an honors system that rewards constant availability, and staying in the know is more important than living in the present, we’ve forgotten how important it is to relax, to completely unplug, and to simply live our lives.
So whether you’re going on a two-week long vacation, or just wanting a more relaxing, rejuvenating weekend, read these tips on how to more effectively unplug, and learn how you can finally take back your time (and your life!).
7 Tips on How to Unplug and Relax
1. Work ahead. Whether you’re going on a week-long vacation or an extended weekend trip, be sure that you’ve prepared for that break so that all loose ends are tied up for when you’re gone. The last thing you want is for Friday to roll around before the weekend only to realize you’ve got a heap of work that may have to sit unfinished while you’re away, potentially creating more work for you while you are on vacation.
2. Show people how much you value your time off. When you really need to do a digital detox, it’s an absolute must to set boundaries and show other people how you value and respect your time off. This means knowing when to respond to your emails or not, deciphering between what’s urgent and requires an answer, and what can definitely wait until you’re back in the office. If you choose to respond to every email or call that comes your way, you can bet that your boss, colleagues, or even your friends will begin to think that it’s perfectly fine to contact you about anything at any hour of the day, even if they know you’re on vacation. And why shouldn’t they? You have to set the standard for what time off means to you.
3. Ask for back up and plan on returning the favor. Ask colleagues to back you up when necessary. For example, if you’re planning on being out of the office on Friday, make sure you can direct pertinent inquiries to them rather than yourself. Then when the opportunity arises to return the favor, you can bet they’ll be just as grateful to be able to do the same.
4. Plan short windows for when you’re plugged in. If you absolutely must check your email or calls when away from work, plan out designated timeframes to do so. For example, giving yourself a 20 minute window in the early morning or later on in the evening is a good compromise. This way you can still address any issues that may be urgent, while leaving the vast majority of your day free from being plugged in.
5. Sign out from your work-related accounts. If you can, sign out of ALL your work-related accounts. You’ll be far more able to relax and unwind when you aren’t constantly receiving new email notifications or calendar invites from work.
6. Turn off social media notifications. Social media is far more tempting to plug in to when you’re receiving notifications for everything, from birthdays, to new photos, to status updates. Give yourself a well-deserved break from social media this time. I promise you that it will still be there when you get back!
7. Reassess your social media use. Speaking of social media, take a moment to reflect on how you use it. Do you use it to stay in touch with family? With distant friends? Or do you use it as a means of bolstering your self-esteem? Or to project a certain image of yourself that you think people want to see? While I’m all for using social media for keeping in touch, social media use can quickly spiral out of control and have negative mental health effects, and who wants that when they’re on vacation? Or at all? So the next time you need a break and want to relax, think about doing a social media detox. Trust me, you’ll feel far more refreshed, relaxed, and even more self-confident after your break if you haven’t spent it checking social media.
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