How to disconnect and truly take a break.

In today’s always connected business culture, how should executives successfully disconnect from the office to take a proper break, spend time with friends and family, and refresh your physical and mental energies?

It’s a question we often ask ourselves at the beginning of each summer, so here’s the collective view from the team at Melius on effective ways of disconnecting from the world of work.

1.       Don’t feel guilty about taking a break. Work will cope without you and your colleagues aren’t expecting you to check in. They’d rather you enjoy your break. 

2.       Choose destinations with poor wifi and phone connections. Nothing beats knowing you can’t make contact with the outside world for making your mind forget about work.

3.       Delete social media and news alert apps from your phone. Removing those alerts that demand your attention lessens the temptation to take a look at what’s going on elsewhere.

4.       Stay active so your mind doesn’t wander back to work, especially if dawn to dusk sunbathing isn’t your thing.

5.       Take a good book that you can fully immerse yourself in. Diving into something that captures your imagination is a great way to forget about the daily grind.

6.       Clearly flag your absence to customers and colleagues well ahead of your break. This will minimise interruptions, messages and expectations for you to be on duty when you’re trying to take a break. 

7.       Schedule time to check in when you can handle anything urgent without disrupting your travel companions. If you really must check in, a defined slot every few days that doesn’t interfere with others without making your family and friends feel like your attentions are elsewhere. 

8.       Take half a day to catch up on your return. A couple of hours to digest your inbox and rationalise priorities works wonders before you’re back in the office swapping holiday anecdotes with colleagues.

If you’re away this August, enjoy the break.