{"id":10612,"date":"2016-12-19T06:30:14","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T06:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.instantoffices.com\/blog\/?p=10612"},"modified":"2016-12-18T17:46:11","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T17:46:11","slug":"avoid-checking-emails-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.instantoffices.com\/blog\/business-growth\/avoid-checking-emails-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Reasons to Avoid Checking Emails During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

Instant’s Head of Marketing John Williams<\/a> asks, has the world made it impossible for us to unplug while we\u2019re on holiday?<\/em><\/p>\n

If you consider innovations like voice search, digital assistants, productivity apps, inflight Wi-Fi and the fact that around 205 billion emails<\/a> are sent per day around the world, it certainly seems so.<\/p>\n

A 2016 mobile email survey<\/a> revealed that 43% of Americans check their email while on vacation, with 3% regularly getting up in the middle of the night to check messages. In the UK, four in 10 employees<\/a> have so much work when they return from holiday they wish they\u2019d never left in the first place. Technology has facilitated a work-life bleed so powerful that even when we\u2019re sitting on a beach sipping cocktails, the urge to \u2018quickly\u2019 check our inboxes is irresistible, often guilt-induced, and more common than it used to be.<\/p>\n

Five Reasons to Avoid Checking Emails on Holiday<\/h2>\n

1. Reduced Productivity<\/strong>
\nQuality over quantity. Constantly feeling like you need to be productive can have a negative impact. By taking a step back from work and taking the time to refresh, you\u2019ll gain a different perspective and find that winding down is more beneficial than constantly being in a work mind set. This is a great way to avoid burnout<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Increased stress<\/strong>
\nA report on the pros and cons<\/a> of using email by the Future Work Centre showed that a constant stream of updates is toxic and can lead to high levels of stress as well as interference between work and home.<\/p>\n

3. Resentment<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s a difference between work being a passion or a burden. Having it constantly intrude on your down time will eventually lead to resentment, maybe not at first but possibly in the long term.<\/p>\n

4. Clients understand<\/strong>
\nBosses, employees, clients \u2013 we\u2019re all human and we all need time for ourselves. Communicate with clients and let them know you\u2019ll be away, and you\u2019ll be surprised at their understanding, especially if you\u2019ve planned and have delegated important tasks.<\/p>\n

5. Work life balance is vital<\/strong>
\nTaking the time to enjoy your life is not something you should take for granted. When you\u2019re on holiday, spending time with loved ones or having new experiences, you owe it to yourself to be present and \u2018live in the now\u2019.<\/p>\n

What if You Can\u2019t Unplug from Work?<\/h2>\n

There are, of course, some who have little choice but to be online. But considering research<\/a> published by the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, which showed elevated levels of cortisol in people expected to be available when away from work, it\u2019s important to find a balance.<\/p>\n

Moderation is key, and setting yourself a strict limit on how much time you spend online can help you avoid falling into a time-consuming trap on holiday. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n

1. Commit<\/strong>
\nWhether you commit to checking email once a day or not checking at all, stay consistent. It\u2019s very confusing to receive an automated \u2018out of office reply\u2019 as well as an email from the same person a short while later. Make a decision about how you\u2019re going to handle your inbox, communicate it and then stick to it.<\/p>\n

2. Schedule<\/strong>
\nSet aside 30 minutes at the same time each day to check your emails, and give them your full attention. Go through your inbox and categorise each mail in order of importance so you know which ones to focus on when you get back from holiday. Alternatively, answer priority mails and categorise the rest.<\/p>\n

3. Communicate<\/strong>
\nDon\u2019t respond to mails with questions, but rather with instructions. This can minimise back and forth. Instead of asking, \u2018Has Melissa received the quote?\u2019, say, \u2018Has Melissa received the quote? If not please send it to her by 5pm today. If she has, please phone her to discuss it by Friday.\u2019 This allows team members to progress tasks rather than wait on instructions.<\/p>\n

Plan Ways to Plug Out<\/h2>\n

\u2022 Set your out of office reply and include the details of a backup contact
\n\u2022 Leave emergency contact details for your own peace of mind
\n\u2022 Delegate major projects
\n\u2022 Leave your work devices at home
\n\u2022 Log out of your work email or task management systems
\n\u2022 Mute your work chat groups
\n\u2022 Set filters on your email to only allow mail from specific addresses
\n\u2022 Switch off work-related social media
\n\u2022 Schedule any available times in advance<\/p>\n

And last, but certainly not least, have a happy holiday!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Instant’s Head of Marketing John Williams asks, has the world made it impossible for us to unplug while we\u2019re on holiday? If you consider innovations like voice search, digital assistants, productivity apps, inflight Wi-Fi and the fact that around 205 billion emails are sent per day around the world, it certainly seems so. A 2016 mobile email survey revealed that 43% of Americans check their email while on vacation, with 3% regularly getting up in the middle of the night to check messages. In the UK, four in 10 employees have so much work when they return from holiday they wish they\u2019d never left in the first place. Technology has facilitated a work-life bleed so powerful that even when we\u2019re sitting on a beach sipping cocktails, the urge to \u2018quickly\u2019 check our inboxes is irresistible, often guilt-induced, and more common than it used to be. Five Reasons to Avoid Checking Emails on Holiday 1. Reduced Productivity Quality over quantity. Constantly feeling like you need to be productive can have a negative impact. By taking a step back from work and taking the time to refresh, you\u2019ll gain a different perspective and find that winding down is more beneficial than constantly being in a work mind set. This is a great way to avoid burnout. 2. Increased stress A report on the pros and cons of using email by the Future Work Centre showed that a constant stream of updates is toxic and can lead to high levels of stress as well as interference between work and home. 3. Resentment There\u2019s a difference between work being a passion or a burden. Having it constantly intrude on your down time will eventually lead to resentment, maybe not at first but possibly in the long term. 4. Clients understand Bosses, employees, clients \u2013 we\u2019re all human and we all need time for ourselves. Communicate with clients and let them know you\u2019ll be away, and you\u2019ll be surprised at their understanding, especially if you\u2019ve planned and have delegated important tasks. 5. Work life balance is vital Taking the time to enjoy your life is not something you should take for granted. When you\u2019re on holiday, spending time with loved ones or having new experiences, you owe it to yourself to be present and \u2018live in the now\u2019. What if You Can\u2019t Unplug from Work? There are, of course, some who have little choice but to be online. But considering research published by the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, which showed elevated levels of cortisol in people expected to be available when away from work, it\u2019s important to find a balance. Moderation is key, and setting yourself a strict limit on how much time you spend online can help you avoid falling into a time-consuming trap on holiday. Here\u2019s how: 1. Commit Whether you commit to checking email once a day or not checking at all, stay consistent. It\u2019s very confusing to receive an automated \u2018out of office reply\u2019 as well as an email from the same person a short while later. Make a decision about how you\u2019re going to handle your inbox, communicate it and then stick to it. 2. Schedule Set aside 30 minutes at the same time each day to check your emails, and give them your full attention. Go through your inbox and categorise each mail in order of importance so you know which ones to focus on when you get back from holiday. Alternatively, answer priority mails and categorise the rest. 3. Communicate Don\u2019t respond to mails with questions, but rather with instructions. This can minimise back and forth. Instead of asking, \u2018Has Melissa received the quote?\u2019, say, \u2018Has Melissa received the quote? If not please send it to her by 5pm today. If she has, please phone her to discuss it by Friday.\u2019 This allows team members to progress tasks rather than wait on instructions. Plan Ways to Plug Out \u2022 Set your out of office reply and include the details of a backup contact \u2022 Leave emergency contact details for your own peace of mind \u2022 Delegate major projects \u2022 Leave your work devices at home \u2022 Log out of your work email or task management systems \u2022 Mute your work chat groups \u2022 Set filters on your email to only allow mail from specific addresses \u2022 Switch off work-related social media \u2022 Schedule any available times in advance And last, but certainly not least, have a happy holiday!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[337,338,339],"class_list":["post-10612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-growth","tag-avoid-burnout","tag-holidays","tag-leave"],"yoast_head":"\nFive Reasons to Avoid Checking Emails During the Holidays - Instant Offices Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Has the world made it impossible for us to unplug while we're on holiday? 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