Happy & Healthy
6 reasons why you shouldn't work on vacation
But really not, okay?
The weekends during our vacations are fine, but when Monday morning comes, my husband and I get restless. All day we feel like we're skipping out and feel guilty. Until six o'clock, we know that everyone at the office has gone home and we can fill our glasses. Well, we already practiced that during lunch, but still. The real relaxation only begins after office hours.
Terrible, of course, and not good for anything. I recently heard that there is a company that rewards its employees with an extra vacation day if they don't check their email during their vacation. Because, it turns out, absenteeism is lower when you fully enjoy your vacation. There are also companies with email eaters. Well, that's what I call them. During your vacation, you set an out of office reply in which you refer to your colleagues who are working (the poor souls) and immediately say that this email will be deleted. Then you come back to a pristine inbox and keep the vacation flow going.
Moral: not working during your vacation is good for people. For problem cases like my beloved and me, here’s a list of extra points.
1. Set the example
If you are constantly on your email and chatting on work WhatsApp as if you are just around the corner, your colleagues will think that's how it should be. And so they will all end up working on their beach loungers all the time. That's not fun for anyone. Vacation is for resting, remember?
2. You need a break
In the past (yes, I am old), there was a time when you didn't have your email on your phone. That was the period when you used your phone to make calls, how strange was that? Now your iPhone or Blackberry is a big blend of work and private life, and you are basically never off. But your mind needs to be clear. And if you are really hard-headed, I will now convince you. When your mind is clear, new ideas come. Then you can work even harder later. But only when you are back, okay? When you are back.
3. You miss the fun
I once missed Jude Law (missed, MISSED) because I was checking my boring Sanoma email. I can indeed wake up in a sweat thinking about that. So. You are on vacation. You saved for this, looked forward to it for months, now you are here and you should enjoy it a bit. Understood?
4. You have another task in life
When my aforementioned beloved and I were restlessly pacing back and forth in the vacation house, I thought of something else meaningful. We have children. That's not a job, but it is a task. It is completely responsible for us to take time off work to be with these beautiful souls. Showing how to do a handstand in the water and licking the melting edge of their ice cream are also extremely important matters.
5. You travel lighter
No laptop = a lighter suitcase = more room for luggage = shopping.
6. Here you make memories
When you are slogging through that huge file later, you will think of your infinity pool and that second gin and tonic. Now that you are in paradise, don't ruin that image by thinking about your boring manager. With those crumbs in his mustache. Get lost. Make new memories. And okay, for the hardcore Calvinists among us; if you really recharge now, you can work even harder later. Happy now?
