Every employee is warned about work burnouts triggered by work-related stress. When it happens, it can cause energy exhaustion, depression and constant negativity that will affect your overall performance and mindset.

An excellent way to combat burnout is by taking a break from work, whether that’s to escape to a luxurious resort like Mayakoba Riviera Maya and do very little for a week, or take a week or two to explore somewhere you have always wanted to visit. However, many tend to stress out about work even while on vacation, defeating the purpose of taking a break in the first place. Look for a truly relaxing getaway, for instance, some of THE 8 BEST Hotels in Orlando, FL offer great ways to relax, or you could even book yourself into a spa retreat somewhere. 

Fortunately, there are ways on how you can take a relaxing vacation without stressing about the work you left behind, and here they are below:

Finish Your Priorities Before You Go

If you plan your vacation or have it impromptu, make sure you finish your priority tasks before going. Priority tasks are the ones that are time-specific and may require constant revisions before the final output is given. If you don’t think you can get it done before going, reschedule your trip and do your work first.

Even as a freelancer, I start sorting my priorities a month earlier before my vacation. In fact, I start packing and planning a bit at a time, without overwhelming myself and building the excitement that I am going away.

Avoid Burnouts Before Your Break

While it is vital that you do all your tasks before your break, it is also important not to burn yourself out to finish them. Make sure to take a break between tasks to regain focus and do them efficiently without compromising quality.

It will be the best if you can plan out what you need to complete or delegate a few weeks before you take a break so that you have some buffer time in between to cater for any emergency.

Stop Your Mindless Checking

Since most of us are glued to our phones and computers even while on vacation, the urge to check in at work can be too much.

To combat this, allot an hour or two every day to check your emails and put your notifications on silent or put your phone away after. My friend will lock his mobile phone in a hotel safe while he wanders around outdoors.

You can also go to areas without an internet signal to stop mindlessly checking work. I love to choose locations with weak or no mobile signal. I will leave the hotel or resort phone numbers with my loved ones, in case of family emergencies.

Go Outdoors

When you are on vacation, enjoy the new scenery around you and not hole yourself in the hotel all day. Go outdoors, especially in parks and nature reserves, to help you relax and heal your soul.

Explore waterfalls, dig your toes into warm sands or work up a sweat hiking to the top. Experience what nature has to offer in our beautiful world.

Be Spontaneous

Whether you have short or long vacation time, you may be tempted to follow a fixed itinerary to keep yourself organised. But, if you don’t mind a plan and be spontaneous, you will enjoy your vacation better and stop overthinking about work.

Go and meet the locals or hang out with the backpackers. Mingle and enjoy their stories. Meet new people, experience new culture.

Sort Out Your Re-Entry

Before you go to your vacation spot, make sure to have a re-entry plan that you will follow after your holiday to reduce your stress. Create a transition plan to help you catch up with your idle work without overworking yourself to complete it.

You can arrange work-from-home arrangements during your transition period to review your work schedule and read up on all the emails you have pending. Just remember to take a break once in a while and not work overtime while transitioning back to work.

Don’t Feel The Guilt

Every person deserves to take a break, especially if you have worked so hard for months without a break. But, when you do take a break, don’t stress yourself out by thinking about the work you left behind. With the tips above, you will be able to enjoy your vacation and not have problems getting back to work without stress.