The summer holidays are in full swing! That means whether we scroll down our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok - we can see friends, family, and influencers romanticising their trips or posting countdowns to their ‘holibobs’. However, nobody is talking about the other side of their annual leave – the stress and guilt that can come with being away from your desk.

‘Did I send that email?’ ‘I wonder if that project has been signed off yet?’ – when you’re invested in your role, it can sometimes be hard to shake the thoughts of how work is going. But, not taking the time to rest and recharge will only lead to burnout and wellbeing struggles further down the line.

And no matter how high up in a company you are, the truth is that the place will survive without you.  With that in mind, here are our tips to help you fully switch off when you take your annual leave, so you can get some well-earned R&R with family and friends.

1.Make sure to hand over your workload

There’s nothing worse than worrying about a project as you’re sipping on a cocktail by the pool or fretting about finances as you’re out for dinner. A simple and effective handover can make all the difference when switching off on your holiday.

At Active Profile, not only do we complete a handover document that assigns all outstanding and ongoing tasks to someone in the team, but we also schedule a handover meeting with all involved to give each of us the opportunity to add context to projects and ask any questions before the team member leaves for a week. Since implementing this handover structure, we’ve found it easier to switch off on annual leave, as we don’t need to worry if someone has seen that quick comment in a team email, or tag on Slack.

2.Organisation is key

Being organised the week before you go away can make all the difference. At the start of the week, write down all the things you need to tie up before you pop your out of office on. If you work your way through the list in priority order, by the middle of the week you’ll start to recognise what’s achievable by close of play on Friday. This gives you a chance to fully brief another team member or your manager on the project, saving that last-minute rush that could lead to forgetting to hand over a task – we’ve all been there.

3.Turn off your notifications

In an ideal world, wouldn’t it be great if you could delete your work apps while you’re off on leave? Well, go ahead and do this, if you can - but we know that might not be possible for everyone.

If needed, just ask your team to send through any urgent updates over email, so you can keep the ‘checking in’ to a minimum while also easing the panic of not knowing if there are any emergencies.

4.Communicate with third parties that you’ll be away

Do you deal with a lot of clients or externals? Make sure to communicate ahead of time that you’re going to be taking annual leave. This way, you’re able to manage expectations and allow others time to prioritise and wrap tasks up before you jet off on your hols, so they won’t need to contact you while you’re getting some well-needed vitamin D.

5.Have fun!

Last, but by no means least, have some fun with your loved ones! It’s so important for your wellbeing and your social life to have some time away from work. There’s nothing worse than getting back to your desk and feeling like you’ve not had a break, so make sure to clear your head, put your feet up and recharge.

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