The holidays are a joyous time of year for different reasons to everyone, and this provides a great opportunity to finally disconnect from clients and work and reconnect with loved ones. One could say that the notification of a Slack or Outlook message can be daunting, but especially during the holiday season. 

Another notification, another missed opportunity to relax. These are some of the best ways to unplug this holiday season! 

Unplug this holiday season

• Start the countdown

When do you officially start the holiday break or vacation? It can be difficult to wind down when there are 10 projects in the queue and all of a sudden you have to leave them while knowing they will be there when you come back. This means starting the countdown. 

Look at the calendar, how many days do you have between now and the break? Prioritize and plan, and as the days come closer, make sure to have only the smallest items left. 

Keep the rest of your work team in the loop regarding your schedule, and set them up to succeed while you’re gone. Have files, documents, and client information they may need easily accessible.

• Set boundaries 

A study from LinkedIn found that 70 percent of professionals don’t fully unplug from work. It is important to set boundaries as much as possible with work. Two of these boundaries are interpersonal and time/ space boundaries that can help be established by unplugging from work. 

A boundary that is set can come in many different forms and variations, but whatever this boundary is, stick to it. A great example of this is setting the boundary to only check your email once the entire week. 

. Virtual work unplugging

Since the start of 2020, full-time remote working has been a juggling act for both companies and their employees. On the employee end of the fence, it can be difficult to unplug due to always being at home. One more email or one more Zoom call won’t be bad, right? 

Research shows that since 2020, 44 percent of respondents have been working more than 40 hours a week, whereas only 32 percent said they were working more than 40 hours a week the year prior. 

It is important to separate work and personal life while working remotely. Here are some ways to communicate with employees to help them better understand and manage their hours. 

• Try to be fully engaged in holidays

Wherever you are, be all there.

It’s so easy to get sucked into the distractions of social media, emails, and other work obligations, but people often don’t realize they’re picking up the stress of others through it. Be happy in the present moment. 

What are some of the benefits when you unplug this holiday season? 

BENEFITS OF UNPLUGGING

• Increases productivity

Productivity is key in keeping consistent with projects and tasks, but productivity can diminish the longer you work without breaks. One of the biggest things that kill productivity is multitasking. And if you are trying to work in-between family conversations, sending emails before dinner, or simply doing one too many things, it kills the productivity you are hoping to achieve. 

• Quality time with family

There is research that shows spending time with loved ones and family can reduce stress (depending on the family), improve mental health, and can even lengthen your lifespan. 

When you take the time to unplug this holiday season, it provides clarity for projects when you come back. 

We dare you to spend at least one day without technology or working. It might be hard, but could be the start of a new boundary this holiday season.