Joy Journal

Every Friday, you can receive the Joy Journal, which will give you information, inspiration and tips that you can use in your pursuit for joy.

Can you truly unplug on vacation?

For some, it’s nearly impossible

I relish the moment when I turn on my OOO message as I shut down for vacation. I am lucky because I can typically unplug while away, except for 5-30 minutes of email each day.

My husband, on the other hand, has NEVER turned on his OOO message and doesn’t have the luxury of being able to unplug as much as I can. As a leader in his business, it’s completely understandable that he has to, at a minimum, stay in the loop with his teams.

There is a recent poll from Fishbowl by Glassdoor that supports our experience. In general, 54% of professionals report they are unable or do not believe they can fully unplug while on PTO. The reasons for this are well-known—always-on culture, responding to clients, heavy workload, guilt.

The study also shows some other interesting data for various industries.:

Having worked with lawyers for 20 years, I’m not surprised. I suppose the primary driver in the ability to unplug is coverage. Are there others who can respond to clients and colleagues, advance projects and maintain stability while you’re out?

If your answer is no, you may want to consider developing those resources for the future.

Sign Up for Joy Journal