How to cut back on checking work emails while on summer holiday?

The summer holiday season is just around the corner. Many people have long-awaited vacation plans ahead, and a longer break can feel very much needed after a long stretch of work. Your supervisor and colleagues encourage you to enjoy your holiday in full, but what if you still feel a compelling need to check your work email, Teams or other work-related apps? Perhaps you feel the urge to reply to just one quick message, which starts a vicious cycle of being constantly on call.

Many jobs make it seem impossible to take a break. It can feel difficult to be out of reach of your team, colleagues and supervisor, even when you know that things will be taken care of through cover arrangements and you can handle the rest when you get back from your holiday. It can be tricky to delegate managerial duties, and supporting the team may have required sustained, close involvement throughout the year.

Checking emails as a means of managing digital workload 

The pace of work has accelerated and the flood of information has increased; employees and supervisors can receive hundreds of emails a day, and work has become a continuous decision-making process. However, digitalisation and the acceleration of the digital transformation are not able to change the capacity of the human brain or our need for recovery. We need both short breaks during the working day and longer periods of holiday, in which we can genuinely disconnect and recover from our work. 

If you are used to reading emails even at meetings or during your commute, for example, it can be difficult to break the habit suddenly when the holiday starts. A good way is to decide in advance when to open your email, and choose a time when you also have the time to reply.

Remind your colleagues that they can also call you in urgent matters; this reduces the need to screen messages for emergencies and relieves the constant load on the brain. During your absence, trust your out-of-office message. It exists so that your brain and mind can rest. 

Checking emails as part of the work culture 

We live in a social context where culture and practices guide our behaviour.  Every workplace has a work culture that also guides our thinking and actions.  If colleagues have a habit of responding to messages on holiday, it is easy to get the impression that this is the rule, even if this has not been specifically agreed. Supervisors may also feel a sense of duty towards their team, and remaining available even during holidays may help them avoid feeling guilty about being absent.

Well before the holiday period, start a discussion with your team about how things will be handled while people are away. Talk about which matters are genuinely urgent, how you can be reached if necessary, and who will take care of your responsibilities during your holiday. Remember, too, that leading by example is often more effective than words; if you truly disconnect during your holiday, you also give your team permission to do the same.

Checking emails from the percspective of work identity and feeling in control

If there is a build-up of stress and a lack of recovery, continuous checking of messages and notifications can be a way of maintaining a sense of control over the work. Therefore, it can feel challenging to let go of being available, even if you know your colleagues are doing things well and are happy to stand in for you. 

Your work identity can also become entangled in difficulties in separating yourself from work. Work can offer experiences of ability, feedback and a sense of community — needs that we have throughout life and that are not always met in the same way in our free time. This can blur the boundaries between work and leisure time and make you worry about what people will think of you if you are not constantly available.

However, it is worth asking yourself whether this concern is a real threat or a harmless interpretation produced by your own mind. Our brains are more attuned to remembering threats than opportunities, and the same mechanism can fuel the need to remain constantly up to date. It is worth taking a moment to assess your own energy reserves and ask yourself: Am I giving myself permission to bring this period of work to a close and truly disconnect?

Occupational psychologist's 5 tips for supervisors to disconnect and recover during their summer holiday

The urge to keep checking messages and remain reachable is a human response shaped by many factors. A smartphone that is always with us, along with its notifications, is a device that can be highly addictive to our brains, and a strong work identity does not always leave room for fully embracing a holiday. Taking time to reflect on the issue can, however, open up new perspectives and help you find a way to truly rest.

1. Agree on the ground rules before the holiday: discuss the rules of the holiday period with your team well in advance: what matters are genuinely urgent, who will take care of your tasks during your holiday and how to reach you if necessary. Clear structures help you let go and  enjoy your holiday.
2. Reinforce the ground rules for urgent matters: if necessary, state in your out-of-office message that urgent issues can be addressed by phone, and try to trust that this will be followed. This way, you don't have to screen emails or notifications for urgent matters, and trusting your out-of-office message helps your brain to rest. 
3. Allow yourself to disconnect: Ask yourself honestly: is your concern about being unreachable a genuine threat, or simply a harmless interpretation created by your own mind? Many supervisors are familiar with feelings of inadequacy or guilt about being away, but rest and disconnecting from work are essential human requirements for being able to cope well when you return to work.
4. Set your own example: how you act on holiday often has more impact on your team than words. When you truly disconnect, you also give your team members permission to do the same.
5. Identify your own barriers to recovery: The urge to check emails may stem from many different factors, such as a need for control, your work identity, workplace culture or digital overload. Once you recognize what is pulling you back into the habit, it becomes easier to make a conscious decision to respond differently.

The article was written by Mehiläinen’s occupational psychologist Anne Lehtimäki.