How to unplug and get real rest

In early January, I got to enjoy a few days on the beautiful beaches of Grenada. It was a welcome and needed time off as I had not been on a proper vacation in a year.  I say proper because I realized that although I was outside over the summer and took time off to visit family over the holidays, those activities were more task oriented than relaxing. I had fun, I slept, but I just didn't feel rested after that downtime. This last trip I was shocked at how REAL my rest was. That level of rest came from my preparation to do so and it worked.

As an entrepreneur it is easy to keep working, it’s easy to feel like you’re not working enough.  "I know it’s late but I can finish just one more thing."  Giving yourself permission to stop, to rest, is OKAY. Actually, it is required. You'll continue to hear this time and time again but you cannot pour from an empty cup.

Here are a few tips for your next vacation, personal day, or PTO.

In the weeks BEFORE you leave -

• Decide in advance that you're going to rest. That means when invitations for excursions or dinners or other pulls on your time come, you can intentionally preserve your time.

• Book it on your calendar. I am fully subscribed to, if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist. Adding it to your calendar makes it real to you and anyone looking for your time.

  • Don't forget the morale boost as you have something to look forward to.

• Communicate: Let people know how NOT to reach you. Maintain your amazing customer service record by not leaving clients or shareholders in the dark.

  • Set up an out of office on ALL of your emails.

  • Add a note to your website for when you will be unavailable.

  • Add an FYI to your email signature leading up to your departure.

  • Remind your manager that you're going on vacation. (Yes, I know it's already on the calendar but chances are they forgot.).

• Delegate and Defend your time.

  • Delegate, Delegate, Delegate. Assess your task list and see what tasks you can give to someone else.

  • Defend your time. Set a personal cut off for new projects so you can wrap up the old ones before you go.

    • For example, anything you receive 3 days prior to your scheduled vacation, automatically goes to after vacation. There's no point in starting it and having to recall all the parts when you return.

  • Your manager gives you ANOTHER urgent project? It's time for some gentle push back.

    "As you know, I will be out of office on [date]. I am currently working on [A, B, and C] projects. Which of these would you like me to stop in order to get [Project D] completed?"

    "Given my current capacity, I can get Project D completed by [AFTER vacation date]."

    • Plan to rest. Bring a book (or two) to read, a magazine to flip through and envision with, a coloring book or sketch book to get creative with. Bring them even if their only role is to lay next to you while you sleep.  Plan to do nothing.

Right before you leave -

• Remove email notifications or delete the email app from your phone. You know if you're a delete the app person. Remember you can always redownload it when you get back.

• Enjoy at least one lazy day = There’s no schedule. Your only tasks for the day are to eat, and then see what your body wants to do - go back to bed, walk to the park, lay on the beach, read on the deck, etc. - then go do that. 

For the non excursion people maybe every vacation day is a lazy day. You get to decide.

These were some tips that can help you prepare for a restful time off. It's about setting boundaries so you can free your mind.

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Are you already using these tips? If not try these out before your next vacation. Have another tip to share? Let me know what I missed.

To your rest!