Family vacations offer more than just a fun or relaxing break from the everyday routine. They offer families the opportunity to connect, enjoy shared experiences, catch up with one another, strengthen bonds, and create meaningful and lifelong memories together.
But once you embark on that vacation you had been planning for months—surrounded by your excited children and spouse, who are looking forward to quality family time together—you might discover that you can’t pull yourself away from your phone or your laptop. You’re going to miss out on everything a vacation can offer, and you’ll be sending your family the message that other things are more important to you.
Of course, disconnecting can be easier said than done. No one disputes the addictive nature of these devices and the programs running on them. You may start out with good intentions and then suddenly think to yourself: “What was that ding? I’ll just check quickly while the kids swim in the pool. I’m just going to the room for five minutes to make sure no emergencies have popped up. Did you hear something buzz? Did I forget to tell someone something about something super important? Will it all survive without me? Ooh, another Instagram like.”
The little digitally addicted hamster in your mind just keeps spinning that wheel even though you’re “on vacation.” It can truly be challenging to suddenly break these powerful habits.
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.What’s more, you’ll model healthy behavior for your children and send them the message that they are important and meaningful to you and more worthy of your attention than your screens.
