When you’re taking vacation time, it can be hard to turn off. It can be a challenge when you’re headed to a tropical island paradise. But it can seem almost impossible when you’re on a stay-cation—home for the holidays and doing your best to get away in the midst of pandemic lockdown (or near lockdown).

As tough as it may be, creating distance from your work is worth it. Getting away gives you perspective, helps you clear your mind, refreshes you, and reminds you of your priorities. Work is important, certainly, but re-connecting with family, friends and non-work activities can help you put your work in context and realize it is one of many elements critical to your wellbeing.

But how can you disconnect when your work zone (aka kitchen island, dining room table, or home office) is just stepping away and when the light from your laptop—and all the responsibilities it contains—beckons?

Here are five strategies to get away from your work, even if you’re not getting away from home:

Your Thoughts

The old adage is true, “Change your thoughts, change your life.” Here are some things to consider:

  • Do your best to manage your thoughts and avoid ruminating about your work. This can be hard. If you’re asked to avoid thinking about pink elephants, for example, they will be all that fills your brain. The best way to turn off your thoughts about work is to occupy your mind with other things. If you’re not fully engaged with something, then thoughts of work can intrude into your day. Immerse yourself in playing with your children, learning a new skill, watching a gripping show, or losing yourself in a great book. When you’re knee-deep in non-work pursuits, it’s easier to create mental distance from your work-related cogitations.
  • Tell yourself you can deal with things later. If there’s something bothering you, know it will likely be there for you when you get back. This is the bad news—your problem may still exist. But it’s also good news. You can be liberated from worrying about it now, because you can deal with it later.
  • Ask yourself whether your work concern will matter over time. While it may be stressful today, reflect on whether it will really matter in a few weeks or months. Often, we are overwhelmed by something today which may be a distant (or nonexistent) memory in just a matter of time.
  • Use the guidance from meditation. If a notion about work passes through your mind, avoid stressing about its appearance. Just notice you’re having the thought, let it pass, and refocus toward your breath or other ideas.

Your Devices

You can also increase your success in getting away by using smart strategies for your devices and software. For example, turn off your notifications. Technology companies have designed pings, dings, and swipes to trigger the pleasure centers of our brains, and cause us to be curious about what’s coming in. By disabling work-related notifications, you make it easier to draw a boundary between your work and your life. You might also consider small things like moving work-related icons off the first screen on your phone, so they require more effort to access. If you use your laptop for work and non-work tasks, be sure work-related programs are fully closed. Making work content less convenient to access introduces friction which causes you to be more conscious about getting into your work. These strategies give you more time to rethink—and redirect yourself away from—the tasks that threaten to intrude on your time away.

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Your Space

If you’re working at home and your space for work is also your space for your life (for example, the couch and the coffee table), be sure to clean up and put away your work-related materials as much as possible. If your work zone is in a separate room, tidy your things so you’ll be less tempted to sit down and easily resume your tasks. Close the door and stay out of your workspace as much as possible.

Your Role

It goes without saying that you make a positive impact on your team and your employer, and they’re just not the same without you there. But tap into your humble nature here and realize no one is indispensable. Even if you’re working on a huge project or helping a critical customer, you will have done everything necessary before your break to set others up for success or put things on hold. Remind yourself your coworkers won’t be awash without you. The work will go on—appropriately—during the brief time you’ll be away. Also, remember by empowering others while you’re gone, you’re helping them build their skills and setting a healthy example for prioritizing responsibilities outside of work.

In addition, remember when you get away, you’ll also be more effective in your work. If you never get distance, perspective or time to refresh, you won’t be at your best anyway. Don’t think of taking time away from work as a sacrifice, rather think of it as an investment—in work and the rest of your life. You’ll be better and more effective for it.

Your Why

Finally, remind yourself of your why. Perhaps you want to be a great employee and make a tremendous contribution through your work—and this is terrific. But you also want to make a difference for your family, friends, and community. When you take time away from work, you’re able to invest time in other parts of your why and fulfill a more complete purpose.

Work is part of a full life, and it can be both rewarding and fulfilling. It can also be draining. You’ll be making an important contribution to your wellbeing and your community if you can put some distance between you and your work—at least for the short period of your vacation. Getaway, even if you’re not going away.

Source Forbes

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