How to Leave Your Job at Home When You Go on Vacation

Being on the job while you're on vacation disturbs not only you, but your family, as well. Answering emails and taking phone calls when everyone else wants to relax gets on other vacationers' nerves. The overactive work habit can destroy your physical and mental health, and lead to burnout - which will undo everything that a good, well-earned vacation was supposed to do for you.

Want to leave the office at the office? Try the following:

Make the choice. No boss ever really asks you to work while you're away. It's truly up to you. Either you decide to answer office emails or you don't. Either you will accept phone calls from your boss or colleagues - or you won't. And if you decide to not work, but then you do? That's your choice, also.

Start off on the right foot at a new job. If it's your first official vacation at a job, agree on the date for starting and ending your vacation. Don't give the slightest indication of guilt for taking a vacation or that you're open to getting calls or emails while you're away. If your boss asks if he or she can call you, be brave enough at this point to say you won't be able to be reached. Don't say you're available in an emergency because I can guarantee you there will be an emergency.

Think of it this way: Most of us don't work at life-and-death jobs that require us to be available all the time--especially while on vacation. Even doctors go on vacation. And how many times have you been able to reach your doctor while he or she is away on vacation? Most of the time, you have to accept your doctor's colleague who's on call while your real physician is away.

So if your doctor can leave without being interrupted, so can you.

Change your attitude. If you're taking a vacation at your current job and you've always worked during your vacation, you'll have a harder time changing your working ways. By now, people expect that they can call or email you--or they expect that you will regularly check in while you're away. You will have to work hard at making it clear that you're not going to work so hard anymore--at least, not when you're away on vacation. There's no other way than to come out and explain that you won't be answering calls and emails. Expect some active or subtle resistance. If you're directly asked why you won't be available while you're away, answer with: "doctor's orders." This usually quells the resistance.

Organize before you leave for vacation.This is when you should get extra work done so you won't feel as overwhelmed when you return. Knowing that things are in control when you leave may help you overcome the urge to work while you're away.

Come back a day earlier. Some people dread coming back to a full mailbox after a vacation. If you can't stand the thought of tremendous catching-up, plan to come back to work a half-day earlier just to sort through everything and clean up your desk. Don't start new work at this time, but just tidy things up so you can start fresh.

It may take a couple of vacations without working or cutting down significantly before you can do it without guilt or anxiety. But in the end, less work will mean more happiness during your time away. And that's really what it's all about.