Prep Beforehand
Prep work is key to having a relaxing vacation, said Laarni Almendrala Ragaza, managing editor, Hardware, for PC Magazine. She advises workers finish as many projects as they can before heading out and anything that can't get finished should be delegated to others.
"Ask them to send you either a daily report or a note as soon as the project is finished," Ragaza said. "That way you're not inundated with minute-by-minute status reports on your e-mail."
Ragaza also suggested to have a detailed out-of-the office message for your e-mail account that includes the dates you will be out, the people that should be contacted while you are away and a note that makes it clear you will not be checking e-mail on a regular basis.
Use Your Hotel's Business Center
If you don't want to get stuck lugging a laptop around, or cringe at the thought of paying extra for hotel Wi-fi, Ross Rubin, executive director, industry analysis, consumer technology at The NPD Group, suggests taking a trip to your hotel's business center and using computers there.
"Check your e-mail and deal with any critical office correspondence without having to be omnipresent," Rubin said.
Work on the Plane
If you decide to bring your laptop along, Rubin said to use the Wi-fi services on your plane ride to and from your trip to get extra work out of the way.
"Try and finish up as much business as you can before you arrive at your destination," he said. "Then you can enjoy your personal time."
Change Your E-mail Features
Almendrala Ragaza recommends setting your phone to only "push" or download new e-mail messages when you actively check for them, instead of "fetching," or alerting you every time you have a new message.
"You're on vacation for a reason, but you don't want to come home to 700 e-mails," she said.
It may sound unthinkable, but Rubin actually suggests turning off the e-mail features on your smartphone. Instead, let people know you will be available by text message for urgent matters only.
Set Up a Separate E-mail Account
If access to e-mail is an absolute must on your trip, Rubin suggests setting up a separate account that is not privy to everyone in the office. Instead, only those you choose can reach out, and again, for emergencies only.
Build an Extra Day Into Your Vacation
Build in a day between coming home from vacation and heading back to work, Ragaza suggests.
"That way, you have extra time to transition more gradually to going back to work, and can plan your first day back," she said.