How to fully disconnect from work on vacation

A good work-life balance is essential for combating burnout. However, as employees gain more work experience and grow within their companies, it can be very difficult to set boundaries, especially when it’s off time.

According to a recent report by Glassdoor, 54% of US workers say they can’t stop work while on vacation, or don’t think they can fully unplug during PTO. This is even more evident when it comes to older workers: 65% of workers aged 45 and over say they are unable to break away from work while on vacation.

A PTO is extremely important for working professionals, with 63% of employees saying they would turn down a job offer if it wasn’t included – but if you spend your PTO answering emails and calls, you’re not really making the most of it time off from your job.

Jonny Edser, CEO of Wildgoose USA, a team-building company, says he’s dealt with “workcations” before, and setting clear boundaries is the first step to resolving this.

CNBC Make It spoke to Edser about his tips and tricks for avoiding workcations. Here are three things you can do to make sure you unplug when you’re not at work.

Prioritizing hobbies is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance because they help you stay challenged, reduce stress, and boost your morale and confidence. Edser suggests that professionals find an activity they enjoy and consciously allocate time to pursue these hobbies during the week.

“I make time to exercise with friends, which I find very helpful as it gives me breaks from work, it’s social, and it keeps me fit and healthy. I run 2-3 times with friends because it’s nice to be together to entertain and switch off and I do sports about five times a week overall,” says Edser. “I also play soccer once or twice a week because it allows my brain to really switch off and focus on the game.”

Edser also says he goes the extra mile to ensure he has no distractions when making time for himself and his hobbies.

“I find that turning off a lot of my evening notifications energizes me to avoid the constant “ping” that can occur, especially in a global company like ours. I’m usually offline at 6:30 p.m.

Our phones can be the biggest obstacle to really enjoying our free time. Constant work notifications can trick you into sending that one last email that turns into another. To avoid this, Edser recommends turning off the phone completely.

“One of my best tricks is to turn my phone off completely and leave it off for the week, and I tell my team they can call my wife if they need me urgently. It’s a great way for the team to ask themselves if your call is important!”

Edser shares that he also uses an app called Circle Loop to communicate with customers so they don’t have his cell phone number. “It means I can log out of my phone app and not receive calls,” he says.

When many people plan a vacation, the ultimate goal is to relax. Whether at the pool, on the beach or in bed, rest is important to recharge your batteries. However, when Edser is planning trips, he opts for “active vacations”.

“I like to choose active holidays so I can switch off. We often go to the French Alps in the summer to hike, bike, run and swim in the lake,” he says. “Lots of activities that really help take attention away from the brain and give you a different focus. If I were lying on a beach or a pool in person, I’d be tempted to check my messages. As a business owner, it’s difficult to switch off, but being active definitely helps.”

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