You put in for paid time off, plan your outfits for the entire trip, and get all your travel information in order. You’re ready to jet set and finally take a break from your busy schedule. But as pre-planned and wonderful as it may seem, your vacation could all be for nothing if you’re still making this one major mistake.
A poll released by Project: Time Off, as part of the US Travel Association, showed that nearly four out of five workers feel more comfortable taking a vacation if they know that they’ll still be able to access work information. But unplugging, researchers say, could be the key to a truly productive vacation.
Nearly half of the study participants (46 percent to be exact) said that they checked in with work “occasionally” while on vacation. And just over one-fifth (22 percent) of millennials reported that they fully unplug when not on the clock.
So why is it that millennials have such a hard time putting down the phone and connecting with what’s around us?
Sure, we love our social media (those gorgeous #travelgrams aren’t going to post themselves) and are eager to check in with friends and family, but it’s the disconnecting from work that’s the real trouble.
Turns out, it could be all because of the careers we’ve chosen.
People who work from home, and those who are remote or telecommuting workers, have an even harder time resisting the urge to check their email. The report revealed that those who don’t work in a traditional office environment feel added pressure to always be “on” and reachable. They were nearly twice as likely to feel the pressure to check in, especially from a boss.
But it’s time to stop that feeling, researchers say.
Though a large part of the people surveyed reported that they at times feel guilty for even taking a vacation in the first place, a detox from work can do everyone some good, and worrying about returning to a flood of emails shouldn’t keep you from taking a break.
So go ahead, take your two weeks (or according to research, eight days at the very least)—you deserve it! Just don’t forget to take a true break. And when you get back, here’s how to take control of that overflowing inbox.
