Tips for a Productive Vacation

When you go away, you want it to be a productive vacation. This means being able to let your guard down, stop worrying and keep things stress-free. What’s the point of going on vacation if you can’t let yourself relax? Here’s how to prepare ahead of time so you can have a fabulous, productive vacation.

Plan to Unplug

We’re used to being connected 24/7. It’s common now for bosses and coworkers to email and text about work after hours, and we’re always on social media. Even on vacation, most workers still stay connected with the office back home. For it to be a productive vacation, though, it’s time to unplug.

If you have a designated work phone or laptop, don’t take them with you. That just makes you more tempted to check in on the office. Talk with a coworker and agree to be each other’s point of contact for when you’re each on vacation. That way, you have someone handling things back at work.

When you’re out on excursions or relaxing on the beach, leave your cell phone in the hotel room. If you want it for pictures, that’s fine, but keep it on airplane mode to discourage any communication. Let yourself live in the moment.

Just Worry About the Big Stuff

Some people try to clean their whole house and make everything perfect before they go on vacation. They try to do every last project at work, too. Don’t freak out about every little detail or you’re just going to stress yourself out even more.

At work, focus on any projects that have deadlines approaching. If it’s not due for another two months, it’s not something you need to stress out about right now. Finish up what you can before you leave if the deadline is in the next week or two.

As for your house, you’re going to have a mess when you come home from vacation anyway. There will be a ton of laundry and unpacking to do. There’s no reason to have a perfect house when you leave. It’ll all get done eventually. Try to start your relaxed vacation attitude before you leave.

Make Arrangements Early 

Don’t leave all the big decisions until the last minute. Arrange for a pet sitter ahead of time. Call your bank and home security and let them know you’ll be out of town. Get someone to pick up your mail for you. You don’t want to be stressing over these things right before you leave.

Plan what you want to do on the actual vacation, too. If you know there’s a certain museum you want to go to or a place you need to try for dinner, designate a day. Your trip will fly by, and you don’t want to regret not seeing all of the sites you wanted to see because you didn’t plan well.

Don’t Set Your Hopes Too High

There are things you can’t control. The weather might be terrible the day you were planning on hiking or your flight might get delayed. Things happen. What matters is how you roll with the unexpected. It’s good to have events planned but don’t absolutely cram your schedule. There needs to be some flexibility just in case.

Take an extra book or some card games in case you get held up at the airport. Make sure you look into indoor attractions for where you’re going. It’s good to have some backups if the weather doesn’t cooperate. No vacation is going to be perfect. All that matters is that you make the best of it!

Make this vacation the best one you’ve ever had! Follow these tips and enjoy a stress-free getaway.