Mobile Computing: How to Unplug for a Vacation

By James A. Martin, PCWorld May 20, 2004 1:00 AM

Feature: How to Disconnect

As we approach Memorial Day, I encourage you to disconnect from work entirely on your summer vacation. You have the right to take time off, to recharge your batteries, to be fully in the moment as you explore new places and spend time with loved ones. Or in the words of your local police officer, you have the right to remain silent--to not answer business phone calls and e-mail messages.

Now for some strategies to do all this. This week, I've got tips on how to prepare for your time off, so you can be delightfully and utterly incommunicado. Next week, I'll offer suggestions on how to log off without ticking off your boss or your clients.

Information Will Set You Free

For starters, give anyone who may be affected by your absence plenty of warning. (Obviously, if you've got a boss, you'll need to ask for time off well in advance.) About two weeks before you leave, send an e-mail to interested parties with the dates you'll be gone. Include the name, phone number, and e-mail address of a colleague or coworker who can be contacted in your absence.

For important clients or coworkers, follow up with a phone call. Then, send out an e-mail reminder one week before departure. Otherwise, you'll get bombarded with last-minute to-do items, thereby reducing you to an ashen heap before you leave.

On the flip side, self-employed people should give clients no more than two weeks notice, at most three. Several years ago, I gave clients more than a month's notice before I left for a month-long vacation in Australia. The assignments dried up almost right away, as several clients assumed I couldn't complete a new project before I left or had misunderstood my schedule. The result: I had a nearly four-week dry spell before taking a four-week vacation, which hurt financially.

Emergency Use Only

Make it clear to others you'll be reachable only in case of a "true" emergency. Tell them you'll have no access to e-mail. If you're so inclined, give them your traveling companion's cell phone number as your emergency contact information. If you're traveling solo, provide the name of your hotel or the person with whom you're staying. In short, don't give them your own cell phone number. The goal is to make it difficult--or at least a bit awkward--for people to contact you regarding business. And don't instruct others to leave voice mail at your office number, because then you'll feel obligated to check your messages.

On your extended-absence voice-mail greeting, as well as in an automated e-mail reply, tell people you're on vacation and will respond to messages on a specific date after you return. Give yourself an extra day to return calls and e-mail messages when you get back. For example, if you're returning to work on Monday, tell callers on your voice-mail greeting that you'll be returning messages on Tuesday. It will make for an easier, less stressful transition back to work.

Details, Details

If you're like me, the last few days before leaving on vacation are often enormously stressful. In addition to preparing for your trip, you've got a seemingly endless to-do list at work. As a result, the first day or two of vacation is spent recuperating rather than relaxing or exploring.

To avoid this situation, get organized well in advance of your vacation. Make a list of all the things that absolutely must be done before you go. Prioritize the list so that when time runs out--and it will--at least you'll have taken care of the important things.

If you need help getting organized for a trip, pay a visit to Microsoft Office Online, which offers several free travel-related Excel templates for downloading. The "Travel checklist for plane trip" spreadsheet is a useful checklist of to-do items.

The bottom line: The more details you take care of before you go, the less you'll worry while you're away. And sewing up loose threads means coworkers and clients will have fewer reasons to contact you while you're gone.