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Making Re-entry Hard – Getting The Most Out Of Your Summer Break

It’s that wonderful time of year where many of us are about to take our summer break. It’s been planned, paid for and highly anticipated. The challenge of taking a good restorative break has become a lost art for many of us who spend most of our waking hours in the corporate world. Taking time off and leaving the world of work behind is not something that comes naturally for the modern day work culture. And, surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be any place to go to learn how. No workshops appear on any company’s learning and development curriculum with the enticing titles like, How to slip the tether of work or How to escape the orbit of the office!

Holidays are supposed to represent an opportunity to get away from the pressures of day-to-day life, but there is plenty of research to show that millions of us are unable to leave our work behind (even for a short period) One report from AlphaRooms, suggests that 20 million Brits think it is NECESSARY to take their work away with them.

Two-thirds of those questioned admitted that they had experienced a work interruption while relaxing on holiday.

Another 80 per cent said they had worried about work while enjoying a well-deserved break, which perhaps defeats the object of going away in the first place.

Technology appears to have a great deal to do with this trend, with a third of people taking their laptop or BlackBerry on holiday with them.
Some three-quarters of those surveyed revealed that they had made or taken a work phone call while ostensibly ‘getting away from it all’ and 60 per cent have sent a work-related email.

I know I’ve taken phone call from the office with my feet in the surf or, excused myself from queues at theme parks to check my emails or, bashed out a proposal in the shade by the pool and, if I’m honest, all out of habit more than necessity. I’ve treated my laptop and mobile like an important family member, taking them everywhere with me and tethering myself to the daily affairs of work.

Reentry into the world of work was never a problem for me, since I never really escaped it in the first place. Until, taking our year out and living on the Island of Fuerteventura, that is, when I did go off to a place where I slipped the tether of work completely.

Eight months into our family year out we flew to Sotogrande to check out the International School. In a mere two and a half hours, we had left the peace and tranquility we’d become so accustomed to for the hustle and bustle of to a busy, noisy Madrid airport. People brushed past us in a furious hurry and rush. Women were decked out in the latest fashion and designer brands. Men dressed in suits and ties, clutching mobiles, laptops and palm pilots, eagerly checked their watches. Everybody’s life seemed reduced to the clock. It was noisy and claustrophobic. Too much, too fast. We retreated to the far end of the terminal where there was less noise and busyness. This gave us breathing space before boarding our next flight to Malaga. We hadn’t expected this. Reentry was going to be harder than anticipated.

I’d been given an important “ha, ha” moment! I suddenly appreciated the rejuvenating effect the year was having on my mind, body and spirit, but understood, at the same moment, the paradox of a good break – if reentry isn’t hard, then I haven’t really been away. That made me realise that for us to get the lasting effect of a break (no matter how long it is), we must find a way to make it possible for the restorative effects of breaks to have an impact in our everyday lives. Otherwise we quickly lose these important benefits immediately upon reentry.

This lesson has made me more conscious of the need for balance and perspective. In order to make reentry hard for yourself this year, try these seven tips: 

1. Decompress – It might take a couple of days to disengage from the stress of your demanding career, so take a little time to unwind. Sit still. Take a timeout. Give yourself permission to decompress. Experiencing such a “white space” can be scary for some ‘have to be doing’ types but you’ll soon feel its wonderful rejuvenating effects.   

2. Sleep – You’ve probably missed this important aspect of life, true? Don’t beat yourself up if you sleep in or feel like hitting the sack early. This privilege you have earned. Max out on it!

3. Make Fun a Priority – Whether it is a trip to the beach with a fun novel or night out dancing like John Travolta, it is time to have some fun, let your hair down and have a laugh. This is the perfect time to stop taking yourself too seriously (something many of us do too much in the corporate world) and let fun be the guide. Don’t short cut this one!  

4. Reflect on Your Future – Once you have relaxed a bit and eased into your summer break, use the time to consider where your life is headed and if you need to make a mid course correction.  

5. Consider Doing Nothing at All – Ah, this is my favorite summer holiday route. Being a consultant can be an all consuming occupation that requires you to be “on” at all times. Why not treat yourself to blissful act of just doing nothing?

6. Experiment – Holidays are a great time to try new ways of being. If you’re normally a ‘clock watcher,’ then take it off and go with the flow. If you’re a planner, then try being spontaneous and see where it leads you. If you like know where you are going, practice being lost! If you like the safety of your comfort zone (or dead zone) then step out of it and get that feeling of aliveness by doing something that scares you.    

7. Enjoy – When you are on holiday think of nothing else but your holiday. If it’s a possibility, leave your work mobile and laptop at home (if you really have to bring your blackberry then discipline yourself to the amount of time you use it)  Let go of all the concerns for a week or two. Leave behind all the office politics, the lists that never get completed, or those nagging doubts about your childcare arrangements and connect with what really matters – maxing out on the ‘glad to be alive’ feeling.

You deserve it. Besides your office will still be there when you get back.

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