How your time off can benefit your career and personal life
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What was the last time you forgot about work and relaxed completely while on vacation, or just enjoying the moment with family and friends?
If it took you more than 30 seconds to figure out the answer, check out the 5 strategies to disconnect during vacation and why doing so will not only benefit you and your loved ones, but also your organization. As you recharge, refresh your mind, meet new people or spend quality time with the ones you know, you'll boost your creativity and productivity when you return to work. In addition, when you delegate your responsibilities while out of office, you'll sharpen your leadership skills while developing your team and co-workers.
I am very active and I like to keep myself busy while on vacation - exploring a new country and visiting all touristic place in a few days, catching up with as many family members and friends as possible, doing physical activities like hiking, scuba diving or engaging in any adventure available. When I go back home, I may be physically tired and sometimes jet-legged, but my mind is always relaxed and eager to try new things.
Some months ago I attended an event at Stanford on which Yuval Noah Harari (author of some of my favorite books - Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century) talked about the harmful consequences of being overly connected to technology and about the importance of knowing ourselves better than the algorithms, meditating often and just doing nothing. Inspired by his speech, I decided to have some downtime during my vacation this summer and absolutely loved the experience.
I spent some days relaxing in a spa surrounded by the mountains of Minas Gerais - Brazil with my mom (the Diva). Although I had plans to work on my blog and other personal projects during my time off, I just decided not to do that (I am writing this post while flying back home). Instead, I spent time by the pool reading a book (while trying to control my impulses to check social media), took long relaxing showers, slept some extra hours, chilled with my mom and did light exercises and massages. As healthy meals were included in the program, I didn't even have to worry about what or where to eat.
As a result, I am so relaxed that, even if I try hard, I can't worry or even think of all the big projects and decisions that are waiting for me when I return to normal life next Monday. More surprising than that - I don't feel guilty about it and I am sure I'll be able to accomplish my plans if I start working on them next week. I am so at ease that it doesn't feel natural to me and, at the same time, I love this feeling! Based on this successful experience, I'll have more relaxing weekends and I'll reserve some days of my vacations to just be and seize the moments, not thinking about what comes next.
What about you, divas? What is your strategy to relax body and mind and disconnect from work and daily chores? Share it here, on Facebook or Twitter!