How to deal with work feelings when you're on holiday

Switching off on holiday is never easy. Yes there are those who can (who ARE you?!) but for me it’s never been 100% possible. It might be because of the job I do - especially the journalism part. Ideas don’t take a holiday. Those words that spend all their time buzzing round my head don’t just stop. Sometimes it’s the final step in a decision making process - good or bad.

When we think about thinking about work on holiday, it’s often in the negative. You must switch off! Don’t even THINK about work for one second! But it’s not that simple and it can be important to try and work through some work feels, wherever you’re holidaying.

Thinking about work while you’re on hols is probably inevitable but it can be a good thing. You don’t want it to overwhelm the whole trip, but you may find that the moment that you have time to breathe (mentally and physically) away from work, you decide to make a change.

Now you may be reading this on actual holiday, or after you’ve got back. It might be you’re not away yet, but you’re already wondering how you might switch off and whether this holiday will fulfil those ‘get away from work’ needs you have building up.

Let’s unpack (sorry if you’re actually unpacking)…

Whether you’re about to go away, just got back or are reading this while you’re on hols, the shortcut to a calmer mind is to book a discovery call. Click through to the form and write ‘I’m on hols/I’ve been on hols and I want help with my career/business’. Then you can get back to that suitcase/car boot jenga/book/podcast/swim/puzzle without delay!

But if you also fancy some immediate tips, read on…

How to quieten the work noise before you go on holiday

If you’re preparing to go away and work is on your mind, you don’t want to pack the thoughts and feelings along with double the amount of pants you need. (Anyone else do that? Course you do).

Make sure your out of office is working hard for you - whether you’re staff or freelance. My top tip is to resist the urge to say ‘If it’s urgent, I’ll get back to you’. Remember, their urgent is rarely also your urgent. Include links to your socials or website, encouraging them to connect or follow.

At work, tie up your loose ends and remind yourself that things can happen when you get back. Don’t leave anyone in the lurch but also don’t do ten days work in seven before you go. Ask yourself: What can I put on hold until I get back?

If you have a work phone, I’d urge you to leave it at home, however tempting it is to take it with you ‘just incase’.

What to do if you can’t stop thinking about work in a negative way on holiday

Hide your phone. Put it on airplane mode. Don’t turn on roaming. Put it in the hotel safe. Give it to someone else. You’ll say: “But I want to take photos” No you don’t you want to scroll social media and email. Resist! Do things that don’t involve your phone - walks, swimming, games… sleeping…

Another tip is to try and get it all out. Not through endless talking (nobody on your holiday wants your work rant over Rosé) but on a notepad. Take a small notepad with you (or buy one if you can, locally) and write down your feelings. Journal it out then pop it away with your phone.

What to do when you can’t stop thinking about an exciting new project or pivot

Now this one’s a double edged sword because you may well be on the cusp of something new and wonderful but let me repeat YOU’RE ON HOLIDAY! Often we have these lightbulb moments on holiday where we find clarity and focus on something that we’ve been thinking about. But it doesn’t have to take over the whole trip.

One solution is to ask friends or family to give you a curfew. If you speak about the topic, say, more than a certain number of times, or after a certain hour, then you are allowed to be politely shut down. Another is to commit to some actions you’ll take when home - then try and stop thinking about them. You could email a brain dump to yourself before you go to get it out of your mind. Or yep, book a coaching session for when you’re back, knowing it’s there in the future waiting for you.

What to do if you decide to quit your job while you’re on holiday

Now this one feels quite like a Channel 5 drama or The White Lotus. You’re on a sunlounger/boat/pier/rollercoaster/waiting in the line for fish and chips/an ice cream and you just have that ‘I AM GOING TO QUIT’ moment. It might also happen while you’re on your third Aperol/Hugo Spritz.

It’s likely that the ‘want to quit’ feelings have been brewing for some time and have come to a head now you’re away from work or your desk. First things first, don’t announce anything or send any messages or emails.

If you really are set on quitting, then do some work (preferably once you’re home) on working out what that means. Is it about quitting and taking your chances with freelancing? If so, you need to look at your budgets and finances, what you’ll do, where you’ll get support and clients. Make a plan about all that before you quit.

If it’s about looking for a new job then I’d advise finding one before you hand in your notice! This will mean refreshing your CV and LinkedIn (yes I can help with both!) and working on cover letters and specific, targeted, job hunting including your job hunting dealbreakers.

The relief of deciding it’s time to move on is wonderful. Make sure there’s a plan in place before you go for it.

Implementing the change to your work or business once you’re home

Making a decision about work while you’re on hols is one thing. Making it happen once you’re home is another. Suddenly real life is back in the picture, both in terms of the time you have to think and plan as well as the reality of ‘but I have to pay the bills’.

So you’ll need a plan. This isn’t about jumping while you’re still in ‘go’ mode but rather keeping those feelings going, sorting out what you do want to take action on, what needs to happen and also who can help. What can you outsource? Who do you need to speak to about your next steps? Spoiler alert - I can help you with this as a Career Happiness Coach and Small Business Mentor. Smooth segue there, you’re thinking. Well, there’s no pressure. We can have a discovery call (an informal, free chat) and go from there.

The other thing you can do is make time to make the plans. I know you’ll just have had time off but carving out time to work on your next steps is really important. Whether it’s on your commute, your lunchbreak or perhaps during some coworking. Make time to focus on what you want to change, and how you’re going to change it.

To chat about your work challenges, send a message today.