It’s holiday season and how many of you have “Out of Office” email auto replies set up saying something like, -“I am out of the office from ........, in case of emergencies, in my absence, I may be reached on my mobile. If you don’t do that, perhaps you are going to log onto your email and voicemail remotely when you are on holidays. What is all this about? Who decided that work couldn’t be left in the office for a short week or two? In my opinion, if you are unable to take a short holiday without bringing work with you, it is a clear sign that you are not being as effective as you could be when you are actually at work.

In nearly every case, if you were to be brutally honest with yourself, the reasons you take work with you on holidays is down to YOU, not your boss or your peers or your customers or suppliers. When we explore the root cause of this action we find at the core; FEAR, fear of loosing control, fear of missing an opportunity, fear of looking bad to customers or the boss etc..., and what does FEAR stand for – False Evidence Appearing Real.

Here is a challenge:

Take some time before your holidays to define exactly the reasons you are “choosing” to bring work on your holidays. You may not think so, but yes you do have a CHOICE. Quantify the specific beliefs you hold that makes it so important for you to do take work on holidays and then in the cold light of day challenge these beliefs. Maybe you believe you will look bad to the boss if you don’t leave a contact number where you can be reached. Did your boss specifically ask you for a contact number? If he did, what were his/her reasons? Are these reasons justified? Will your boss gain or loose more by insisting that you be contactable during your holidays? In the long run, very often, there is more to loose because you have not been given the opportunity to switch off and fully recharge the batteries, which stifles creativity, productivity and overall performance.

If you decide that this year is going to be different, that this year you are going to take a holiday and not allow work to interfere, get some leverage on yourself to help stay committed. Answer the following questions.

What will I gain by getting a complete break from work - how will my family, my friends, my boss, my attitude, my energy levels etc... benefit? What will I loose if I bring work with me on holidays?

If you absolutely, positively must do some related activities relating to work while on holidays, set a specific time and day and duration for this work and hold yourself accountable to sticking to these parameters.

Remember that you are not the only one on holidays, no doubt you are with other people, family, friends so you are not only upsetting your own holiday, you are upsetting theirs also.

As the saying goes, I have yet to meet someone on their deathbed to say – I wish I had pent more time in the office.

Wherever you get to on your holidays this year, I hope you seize the opportunity to unwind, recharge and take time out to do what you enjoy best. Don’t forget to do a little planning before hand so you make sure you do get value from your well-earned break

Fergal O’Connor is a Business and Personal Life Coach working in partnership with his Business and Private clients providing a supportive, confidential, challenging and non-judgemental environment to make their ambitions and dreams a reality. Fergal also facilitates a range of Management training programs and is available for public speaking engagements. Fergal can be contacted at Synergy Coaching Services, Tel: (061) 467287, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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