How to Organise Work Before Going on Vacation

Taking regular vacations away from everyday life, routine and environment is essential for managing stress. We all know how a change of scenery helps us recharge and reset our mind, body and soul.

As much as a vacation reduces stress, if work demands are high before you leave, they can potentially cause more stress during your vacation and once you return. Here are some tips on how to make sure all your work is organized and under control before you leave so that you don’t come back to an inbox that takes you hours to work through.

Make a To-Do List

Lists may be seen as something reserved for those with chronic OCD, but they help you keep things ordered and organized. By making a To-Do list of all the tasks, you need to complete before leaving for your vacation it is much easier to see what needs to be done and make sure it does get done before you leave.

List your tasks in order of priority from most important to least important, and make it your goal to tick off as many of these tasks in a day a possible. It would be best if you start this process at least two weeks before you are scheduled to leave.

Check in With Your Colleagues

If a large part of your work involves working on or with a team, it is really important to meet with your colleagues at least two weeks before you are scheduled to leave for your vacation. This keeps communication flowing within the team and also gives you all the opportunity to express any concerns anyone may have about your work tasks while you are away.

If one of your colleagues has been tasked by management to keep an eye on, or cover some of your work while you are away, make sure that he/she is up to speed with what needs to be done. It would also be useful to show them how you generally go about performing the tasks so that your routine isn’t too shaken when you get back.

Check in With Your Clients

If your job involves working with and interacting with any clients of the business you are working for it is very important to keep up communication with them as well.

If you have the time, making a personal phone call to each of your clients to let them know you will be away, how long you will be away for, and who will be covering for you while you are away will keep up that personal relationship that you have with them. If you are pressed for time sending an email to all will also do the trick.

Set an Out of Office Email Response

Out of Office Emails Responses are another way to keep up communication with all your clients, colleagues and anyone who attempts to contact you while you are on vacation; don’t forget to set one.