How can you use your vacation time to balance work and life?

Férias! Um momento em que tiramos um tempo exclusivo para nós e nossas famílias. Digo exclusivo, pois esse tempo precisa ser inserido constantemente em nossas rotinas. Não podemos viver para trabalhar e, de vez em quando, descansar. Essa rotina de ter um tempo para desacelerar é o que sustenta todo nossa evolução. Quando ele for exclusivo, tenha seu planejamento feito com um tempo de antecedência suficiente para que tudo saia o mais perfeito possível. Este tempo é importante e precisa ser bem pensado e planejado.

Planning ahead is essential for a smooth and enjoyable vacation experience. Schedule your time off well in advance, considering work commitments, budget constraints, and personal preferences. This proactive approach not only gives you something to anticipate but also minimizes the likelihood of conflicts, delays, or cancellations. Communicate your vacation plans to colleagues, clients, and managers early on, establishing clear expectations and boundaries for your availability and communication during that period. By planning ahead, you not only ensure an stress-free vacation but also demonstrate professionalism and consideration for your work responsibilities and relationships.

Vacation time is vacation time, and work is work. Balance between the two is subjective to each person's respective investment on the one or the other.

1.Plan Ahead: Delegate tasks and set up an out-of-office email response. 2.Set Boundaries: Avoid checking work emails or work-related tasks unless it's necessary. 3.Unplug: to reduce stress and be fully present in the moment. 4.Engage in Leisure Activities: engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. 5.Practice Mindfulness: Engage in meditation, yoga, or simply taking quiet walks in nature. 6.Set Realistic Expectations: Allow yourself to rest and recharge. 7.Reflect and Realign: evaluate your work-life balance and consider any adjustments that may be needed upon. 8.Refrain from Over-Scheduling 9.Stay Active: hiking, swimming, or simply taking long walks. 10.Plan for a Smooth Return: Allow yourself some time to settle back in.

Según mi experiencia personal, lo primero es decidir qué tipo de vacaciones queremos tener: de relax, de aventura, de introspección, etc...para que con esta decisión pueda desprenderse una serie de datos y/o requerimientos para lograr el objetivo final (destino, presupuesto, tiempo requerido, por ejemplo). De igual manera, todos/as conocemos las fechas en las que, podemos programar nuestras vacaciones de una forma más relajada, aprovecha ese tiempo sin tantos pendientes precisamente para poder tomar unos días de vacaciones y volver con las pilas recargadas!

One of the amazing things that the brain does is to remove unnecessary information and just preserve the information that is an absolute necessity. But this cannot happen only when you disconnect. Because the brain does need a constant influx of information. So disconnect and you will see the benefits of the special organization of the work.

A crucial aspect of enjoying vacation time is disconnecting from work to focus on personal aspects of life. Establish rules to ensure a clear boundary between work and leisure. Limit check-in times, disable notifications, delegate tasks, or utilize an auto-responder to communicate your unavailability. By implementing these measures, you can effectively minimize distractions, interruptions, and the temptation to engage in work-related activities during your vacation. This intentional separation allows you to recharge and fully immerse yourself in the relaxation and experiences that your time off offers.

Working on your PTO is a clear indicator for burnout. PTO is meant to be absent of work, when you choose to work, you're now simply a remote worker. ;)

Disconnecting from work is crucial for your well-being! Start by setting clear boundaries—switch off those work notifications and create a dedicated space at home where work stays out of sight. Engage in activities that help you unwind, like taking a walk, reading a book, or spending time with family and friends. Communicate with your colleagues about your off-hours, so they know not to disturb you during your downtime. Remember, giving yourself this break from work allows you to recharge and return with fresh energy and focus!

Em uma sociedade do cansaço como a nossa, desconectar-se do trabalho é para muitos uma culta, como se estivesse fazendo algo proibido ou errado. A sociedade nos leva a creditar que nosso valor está no que produzimos, e estar cansado se tornou quase motivo de orgulho, como se isso quisesse dizer que somos bons. Descansar é um dever, é respeito por nós, pelo trabalho e pelos outros. Férias não é direito, é dever. Digo isso no sentido que nosso organismo e cérebro precisam descansar e as pessoas ao nosso redor precisam de nós, descansados! Não existe trabalho eficiente sem pessoas descansadas fazendo ele. É por isso que precisamos combater a cultura do workaholic e aprendermos a descansar mais. Recuperar a antiga prática do ócio grego.

Vacation helps us to relax, rejuvenate and return to the work with more energy. So we need to make a plan which helps us that way. vacation should not exhaust us or drain us totally. Meeting people who can add value is a way which helps us to come back to work with new ideas and new aspirations. We can use the vacation time to upskill ourselves. Even we can plan this time to do some pressing chores which are important but we couldn't complete due to work pressure. At the end vacation should give us pleasure, not pressure.

During vacation time, seize the opportunity not just for rest but also to engage in something meaningful for both yourself and others. Explore a hobby, acquire a new skill, volunteer for a cause, or venture to a new destination. Meaningful activities contribute to enhanced happiness, creativity, and confidence, fostering personal and professional growth. Beyond relaxation, these experiences make your vacation more memorable and rewarding, creating a sense of fulfillment. Utilizing your time off for purposeful endeavors adds a valuable layer to your overall well-being and ensures that your vacation becomes a holistic and enriching experience.

Travel is the key to expanding your outlook on life and can significantly support your ongoing career by understanding new cultures. Take the time to explore and learn, so that you return to work a new version of yourself.

Neste tempo valioso, além de descansar, realize coisas que irão trazer significado a estes dias. Crie situações que gerem memórias afetivas em você e nos que lhe acompanharem. Tenha motivo para querer crescer e evoluir no trabalho, para que possa ter momentos de qualidade durante suas férias. Eu costumo dizer que tirar férias inclui sair de seu cotidiano. Sair de casa, se puder, é algo necessário para gerar memórias em outros lugares que nunca esteve.

To be honest the word “work life balance” it self is contradicting, as we take an interim break that can never balance or compensate the stress we managed- while we perform professional assignment. But yes, such break rejuvenates to be more productive with a fresher perspective. I found “well planed leave management” plays critical role while we expect work life balance to happen. This is a sort of - marry go round process and we all are part of it to extract/enjoy it.

I remember one trip where I travelled to Crete and Rhodes for my summer holidays. I travelled with my girlfriend then. I had with me the guide book with everything you should visit in the area. The only thing is that you need more than one life to do it. I remember trying to go and check all the different places not spending more than one minute to enjoy it. Trying to visit everywhere in the book just ruined my trip filling it with a lot of stress, arguments with my partner and so on. The key of your time off is to enjoy it so here is my advice: Make sure you know what makes you happy and relax you and try to get it from your holidays. If you do not feel the way you would like to feel, you are doing something wrong.

Many times "vacation" becomes an excuse for people to easily fall out of balance and out of their self-care. However, it's important to remember to listen to your body, prioritize what truly matters, tune into self-care, incorporate rest and restoration, and make changes at a pace that works for you. Maintaining balance in life is so important because it improves your mood and mental state of mind. Incorporating exercise, mindfulness meditation, restful sleep, downtime, sunlight and balanced diet are a few ways to support your well-being while on vacation.

Be strategic when planning vacation time. It can be demoralizing to return from vacation exhausted. It may be tempting to schedule every minute or to decide all we need is "rest" & thus plan nothing but TV. Constructive rest involves a variety of activities & downtime. Stimulating activities that promote learning, physical engagement, & new experiences may facilitate mental & emotional recovery. Relaxation can include physical rest as well as fun activities like swimming, wandering through a museum, or fine dining. Travel can provide the psychological break it's difficult to create during time off at home. Balance is the key to a successful vacation.

El tiempo para el ocio, la recreación, la lectura, la serie de televisión, el viaje, la reflexión, las amistades, etc, debe ser equilibrado. No necesariamente planificado pero si de manera consciente saber o poder equilibrarlo. La fatiga de trabajo también se siente en vacaciones cuando sobrecargamos la agenda para poder aprovechar las mismas y terminamos necesitando vacaciones de las propias vacaciones. A esto último post trabajo tener este tipo de experiencias se lo conoce muchas veces como el BURN OUT, es decir sentirnos quemados por el cansancio físico y mental sin tiempos de descanso ni recuperación. El equilibrio para poder hacer de todo un poco sin QUEMARNOS es la clave junto a la propia diversión.

One of the most important aspects that we need to consider is "Our Network is our Net Worth". So, while you are on your vacation build your Network by making sure you talk with people and are genuinely interested in them.

Vacation is an opportunity to connect with others. This may take the form of a group trip with family or friends. Daily life doesn't often provide the same bonding a vacation can facilitate. Flexibility & respect are key to group travel. Vacation can also be a special time with a significant other. New experiences build memories that feed romantic relationships. Connect in new ways by allowing each other to plan activities that reveal personal interests. Create space during vacation for alone time since rejuvenation requires a variety of experiences even when traveling with a special someone.

Having vacation time allows you to connect with others, talk to things not related to your work and charge your batteries. But I will go beyond connecting with friends, how about establishing relationships? It is an opportunity to work on new or existing friendships in a way that after your vacation period you will be able to keep some of your time off enjoying being with others. Within the balance in your life, social area is very important. You may think we do not really need to have many friends but that is not true. Try to have new friends and maintain the ones you already have, and you will see how your mental health improve substantially. Read last part of the 7 habits of highly effective people (balance in life).

Durante períodos fora do seu "habitat natural", conhecer pessoas novas é uma boa estratégia para criar novos laços de amizades. Certa vez, em uma viagem para o Chile, conheci três casais e nos tornamos amigos naqueles dias e posteriormente também. Foi uma experiência muito enriquecedora, ter contato com pessoas de lugares e culturas diferentes.

Connecting with others is essential for personal growth and well-being. It allows me sharing of experiences, perspectives, and emotions, fostering empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging. Meaningful connections with friends, family, colleagues, and even new acquaintances provide support, encouragement, and a network that enriches life's journey. Such relationships can lead to opportunities for collaboration, learning, and personal development, ultimately contributing to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Reflecting after a vacation is essential. Assessing what worked and what didn't guides future planning. The assessment could take the form of journaling or a simple mental reflection about it. Reflecting allows you to learn from challenges and acknowledge the positive aspects. Being grateful for the people, places, and experiences you had, and sharing this gratitude with others can deepen connections and boost your motivation and inspiration for the future.

Happy New Year! This week I went back through 2023 calendar and wrote out key things I appreciated and am grateful for. From this exercise, I can see which goals to pursue and allows new goals to emerge.

Taking the time to reflect allows for introspection, helps me understand our experiences, actions, and emotions. It encourages personal growth, enabling us to learn from past successes and challenges. Moreover, practicing appreciation cultivates gratitude, fostering a positive mindset and enhancing overall happiness. Reflecting on achievements, milestones, and even everyday blessings helps us acknowledge progress and find joy in the present moment, contributing to a more fulfilling and contented life. I remember instance where I started appreciating hosting people for small small things and then their attitude was completely different towards work and me. Appreciate people for all good things they do this makes life more easy and workplace.

Allowing time for reflection after vacation is very valuable. Reflecting on which facets of the experience were most & least rewarding will inform future vacation planning. Enjoying gratitude & sharing that with the others involved deepens bonds & contributes to overall life satisfaction.

Mesmo que possa parecer banal, a ideia de estarmos conectados no presente, nos ajuda a aproveitarmos melhor o período de descanso. Cada pessoa precisa encontrar o próprio modo para fazer com que seu cérebro desacelere e refita sobre as coisas que faz. Para alguns são as caminhadas, para outros, a meditação, a oração ou apenas aqueles momentos em que ficamos na caixinha do nada. Mas estes momentos devem fazer parte das nossas férias e quem sabe, incluirmos eles na rotina da nossa semana, como um modo de ser e estar na sociedade. Pensarmos mais, refletirmos mais e feriarmos um pouco o ritmo descompassado da nossa vida moderna e digital. Apreciarmos um pouco mais o ser e o estar do que o fazer. Quem sabe estaremos menos casados e mais serenos.

Don't Think About Work Vacation is a time to relax, refresh, pay attention to family, health, and other things aside from work. If you want to get the best from any vacation, don't think about work first. You are taking a break to refresh, relax, and reinvent. There is no way you will be relaxed and not get creative ideas to implement at work to be more productive. Ideas come when you're not under pressure. Now that you aren't thinking about work, you can plan your vacation and tick one of your bucket list.

Nowadays there are more and more talks about mental health and how important is to take care of it. It is as or even more important than your physical health. Our lives are full of "to do" things, pressure, and fast living. All that causes a lot of stress. I will not say that friends can help you the same way as a psychologist of psychiatric but having a good circle of friends that you can trust will help you to find exits to closed roads in your mind. You may find friends going through the same problems as you so you can help each other to find and answer or look for more help. Don´t underestimate the power of friendship and work for keeping a good friendship net support.

Gosto de imaginar o seguinte: se um dia (utópico) em nossa sociedade não precisarmos mais trabalhar porque as máquinas farão tudo. Terei minha renda, minha casa, minha locomoção, meu alimento, sem precisar fazer nada, de graça. O que serei? Quem serei eu? Quem eu sou além do meu trabalho? O que preencheria o meu coração e os meus desejos? Este pensamento me leva a avaliar o que é que realmente importa para mim e o que é que me faz ser que eu sou. Apesar de não existir uma sociedade assim, posso estar nesta correria um pouco mais sereno, sabendo que não dependo do que faço ou do meu sucesso para estar bem, e encontro assim, nos meandros da nossa correria momentos de felicidade.

How can you use your vacation time to balance work and life? Interesting question. Crazy idea: take time off. A recent Pewrearch found that almost half of all US workers don't take all their available time off. For a long time, I thought I should be traveling to take vacation. Then, I remember asking a colleague where he was going on his time off, he said "no where". He planned his day to run errands or do whatever he wanted. This changed my view of vacation. That same study indicated that we forgo time off because we feel badly about coworkers taking on additional work. I am guilty. An idea: work out a plan to for work share coverage with a coworker, a manager or teammember. Then you both get to take time.