You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

How to Unplug and Return to the Grind Recharged Her are some tips that will help you make the most of your vacation and return to your team completely recharged and refreshed.

By Sarah Haselkorn

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

As entrepreneurs, we often struggle with completely shutting down and stepping away from our work to recharge. I know it's never been easy for me to truly turn off my phone, not check my email or worry about what's going on at home when I'm traveling. Even then, getting back to work often means digging out of piles of emails and playing catchup for days. So what's the right way to vacation? How do we step away from our business without the world crumbling, let our brains relax and return to a place that's not a warzone? With strategic planning, and careful commitment, it can be done. Here's how to fully unplug and return to the grind recharged:

Prepare

Set yourself up for success. Don't wait until you already have your toes in the sand to start combatting emails and reducing stress. Use the time leading up to your departure to make sure everyone knows you will be gone, and to put systems in place to delegate work during your time away.

Related: You Need a Real Vacation (And So Do Your Employees)

One to two weeks before: Delegate responsibilities to partners/employees (the people you mention in your out-of-office reply) to make sure everyone knows who is in charge of what while you're away. Automate as many tasks as possible, using tools like If This Then That (IFTTT) for the digital world (this is a good time management practice in general but gearing up for vacation is a great time to put it in place).

One to two days before: Set your OOO reply, and be thorough about it. Instead of "I may be slow to respond" go with "If you need X, contact Bob. If you need Y, contact Susan…"

Night before: Don't let that one lingering thing continue to linger. Now is the time to put those few items that are causing you stress away for good. Knock out the items on your to-do list so that you can truly enjoy your time off. If some things cannot be resolved now, then put them out of your mind for now as well. Control the controllables.

Commit

This is the hardest part. As entrepreneurs we are conditioned to work day in and day out without rest. But after a while it takes a toll on you. That's why you have set aside this time to get away. If you are going to do it, really commit to it. Even if it's available, don't get hotel Wi-Fi. Don't sign up for the international data plan. And most importantly, don't bring all your devices. Stick to one (maybe two) that you can't live without.

Related: Why You Really Need to Unplug While on Vacation (Infographic)

Buffer

Schedule an extra day into your vacation before going back to the office or reconnecting with your team. That way you have a full day to catch up and dig through emails before taking on new projects.

It will never be easy for us to fully unplug, and to be honest, many of us may not want to, but for those who see the benefits of real time to unwind, these strategies will help you make the most of your vacation and return to your team completely recharged and refreshed.

Related: 6 Ways to Beat the Back-to-Work Blues After Vacation (Infographic)

Sarah Haselkorn

Entrepreneur and Investor; CTO, Unfettered Socks

Sarah is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where she studied systems engineering and entrepreneurship. During her junior year she opened Green Bean, an eco-healthy salad restaurant. She is now in the midst of launching her second business, a line of performance-focused men's business socks: Unfettered Socks. She was a finalist in the Entrepreneurs' Organization's Global Student Entrepreneur Awards in 2012. Find more about her on her website.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Innovation

Up to 90% of Startups Fail — But Innovation Accelerators Can Help Yours Succeed. Here's How.

Learn how innovation accelerators are powering startups, shortening time to market and increasing the survival rate of fledgling businesses.

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Making a Change

Learn Up to 14 Languages with $460 Savings on Lifetime Access to the Babbel App

Expand your professional reach with help from this popular language-learning app.

Starting a Business

Free Webinar | April 25: How to Launch a Business For Creative Minded People

You can monetize your creativity! Join our webinar on April 25th to ask globally recognized design executive Launi King anything you want to turn your passions into money. Register now!

Thought Leaders

How To Improve Your Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence in 7 Easy Steps

Using these simple but effective approaches will help a person in their business, life and relationships.

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.