Offline is the new Luxury

I want to start with a question – in our work/life balance, can we ever truly unplug from work?  It’s October and my PTO balance was shockingly high.  I decided to take a week off from work last week (even Wednesday Words) to be with my family as the kiddos had a Fall Break.  It was nice to be home with the family, but had me thinking about “Paid Time Off” and what Vacations mean in today’s working world.  I’m reminded of a quote from Gerd Leonhard, a noted futurist, “Offline is the new Luxury.”  So, in our quest for “balance” is a vacation a Luxury everyone can afford? 

Find a way to Disconnect!

I love to go on cruises, specifically the Disney Cruise.  What hit home with me about Gerd’s quote was how accurate it was.  It wasn’t long ago when I relished the time in the air to disconnect and clean up my inbox without more mail incoming.  That time is gone as the mere presence of wifi is just too tempting.  What I love about going on a cruise is the freedom from being connected.  Its truly an opportunity to be “offline” and relax.   So, weather it’s being pampered somewhere on the high seas, in the middle of a forest or just turning everything off, find a way to disconnect.

Recharge, change the view

I travel a lot for work.  Be sure to change up your time off to maximize your recharging efforts.  The ability to recharge for me was actually to stay home with the family enjoying some local fun.  A change in perspective can help relax, inspire and even improve your health. 

It’s ok to cheat…on e-mail

I did “cheat” a bit while off last week.  I checked on my inbox a few times to declutter the spam from important messages.  I made sure to do this when time permitted.  It helped coming back in on Monday so the climb wasn’t so steep.

Come back Ready to Roar!

After taking the week off and truly recharging, coming back on Monday wasn’t a challenge.  I actually felt refreshed and ready to get back to work.  Productivity and Engagement are the winners from a “strategic” use of Paid Time Off.  So, back to my original question;  in our quest for “balance” is a vacation a Luxury everyone can afford?  I would argue – YES!    And of course Go Astros!