Eliminating the Sunday or Time Off Scaries

It's the time of year when many office workers take time away from the office. Yet, does the worry of coming back to full inboxes and round the clock meetings lessen our desire to take time off?

First, let's address the elephant in the room. If you can take time paid time off from your job, then you enjoy a privilege. Not everyone has access to this benefit (uh hum, ask the rail workers). Second, using terms like 'PTO Woes' and 'Sunday Scaries' sound ridiculous, especially considering paid time off being a privilege.

Now, let's address the real problem - an office culture that supports a single speed of work (on/off) and our own approaches to taking time off. Here are some ways to slow your roll before and after time off for office workers.

1. Schedule the 2-4 hours of your last day in the office to get caught up on email, make notes for your return, and clean up your space.
2. Turn on your automatic email notification for time off to start during the last 2-4 hours of your last day in the office.
3. Leave a message in your automatic email notification that says you will not return any emails until the day after you return to the office.
4. Schedule the first 2-4 hours of your first day back to get caught up on email, remind yourself of current work, and connect with your teammates.
5. Turn on your automatic email notification for time off to end after the first 2-4 hours of your first day back in the office.

This will help you de-escalate before taking time off and provide room for you to ramp up when you get back.

Based on this article by the Cleveland Health Clinic. Photo by natasha tirtabrata on Unsplash.