You probably don’t want to squander life’s most precious moments because you just couldn’t let go and unplug from the internet for a while. Here are six strategies to help you unplug with confidence on your next vacation.

Commit to Unplugging

First off, you need to commit to the level of connectivity you’ll maintain while on vacation. Set up a plan and stick to it. Will you leave your laptop at home? Will you leave your phone in your room while out sightseeing? Will you check email each morning, only once during the vacation, or never? Push yourself slightly past your comfort zone when it comes to this—aiming to engage with your devices as little as possible during your vacation. You may be surprised by how much you benefit from disconnecting.

Manage Expectations

Whatever your line of work, give significant advance warning of your plan to disconnect and be temporarily unavailable. You should reach out to key colleagues and clients, giving them the timeframe of your departure and the alternative contacts they should use while you’re away. Do the same for relatives and friends who may be helping you while you’re away or will be particularly concerned about you while you’re gone.

Set Up Auto-Responses

Set up smart, descriptive auto-response email messages and voice messages that outline the dates you’ll be unavailable, the individual who should be contacted in your absence, and any other details that will allow your mind to be at ease and your business relationships to remain unfettered while you’re away.

Emergency Email

Set up an emergency email that you’ll check once a day. Give it only to close family and key colleagues, explaining it is to be used solely for emergency purposes. Schedule a time each day to quickly check the email while on vacation, which will hopefully always have an empty inbox.

Uninstall

Remove the most tempting apps from your phone. You know the ones. If you habitually check them more than twice per day, remove the temptation altogether. You can get them right back when you return home.

Vacation During Slow Seasons

Depending on the industry you work in, you may be able to identify times of the year when work slows down. In the United States, the month of August and the weeks between Christmas and the New Year are very slow times for most businesses. Taking vacations during this time may help put your mind at ease and ensure that you’re not missing out on anything too important.

Enjoy Your Vacation

You’ll never regret taking the time to be fully present with your family and allowing your body and mind to disconnect from time to time. You’ll return refreshed and inspired in ways you perhaps wouldn’t have otherwise been.

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