Short answer: No 🙂 . End of post.
Just kidding…I’ll explain. A few years ago I was laying on the deserted beach in Vietnam. The wind was blowing through my hair, the waves were crashing, the sun was slowly rising in the sky and I was thinking about…Emails. Yep. Emails. Specifically client emails:
“Did I answer that query last week in the best possible way?…”
“I wonder what problem has thrown a monkey wrench into our plans this week….”
“Oh no – what fresh hell will I return to next week?”
And it’s not because I’m still plugged in. In the last few years I haven’t checked my email while away. I’ve turned off my notifications and in some extreme cases deleted Outlook all together…but these thoughts still persist. I do tell my colleagues that they can text me in an emergency (whatever that is in marketing…) but it’s never happened. I have no contact with work while on vacation, but I’m still thinking about it. I get it though. I’ve been thinking about my work nonstop for 51 weeks straight so giving me 7 days and expecting me to turn off a 51 week habit seems unrealistic.
After my 2 week trip in Ecuador this year I started reflecting on if I felt as people told me I would or should: “refreshed”, “rejuvenated” and “ready to get back to work.” Unsurprisingly I didn’t, but I did feel something. My partner is a programmer and talks about how some days or even weeks you’re in a trough: you’re working on a problem that won’t cooperate or other annoying things pop up that distract from the larger question you were trying to solve.
During these troughs it’s hard to maintain motivation. Everything you encounter seems to add another roadblock and it saps your enthusiasm. I have experienced something like this in my work as well, even though it’s basically as far from programming as possible. I’ve never missed a deadline, but sometimes my motivation to crank things out and get things done just isn’t there. It feels like more of a chore on those days.
While I didn’t feel refreshed when I returned from Ecuador I did see a return of my mindless motivation. By mindless I mean that now when I wake up I get right to work: I crank out what needs to be done and then see how the day unravels – more often than not it’s not at all what I planned. I get a lot done before the day explodes so I can focus on putting out those fires. Pre-Ecuador I wouldn’t have done that.
So despite debunking the stereotype that short vacations rejuvenate you I have found that they can do something: return some motivation and I must say that’s a great thing. I’m going to Costa Rica in February for 9 days (2 of which are travel) with my family. Let’s see if I can get a similar feeling out of it.
Do vacations revitalize you? If not, is there anything that does?
I really enjoy reading your posts! You combine humor with facts plus your personal experiences which makes them addictive. Even though I am almost twice your age, I did retire a little less than 5 years ago and am finding so many similarities with your trials and tribulations with work and also with how difficult it can be to truly relax and also to stay motivated. I only wish your blog existed when I was working but at least I can enjoy it now.
Hi! I’m so glad you enjoy them. Addictive? That’s a high compliment. Congratulations on your retirement! I hope you’ve found it easier to relax after leaving full-time work.
Hey APL! This was a really thought-provoking post, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s a pity that you were vacationing in Vietnam but couldn’t stop thinking about work. I think going FI would do wonders for you, and I can’t wait to see how your whole life would change for the better.
I’m the complete opposite of you though. When I go for a vacation, I completely shut myself off from work. (The only time I think about work is when I’m trying to push away the dread of returning to work. LOL.) But that’s only because I’m used to shutting off from work the moment I clock out of the office, every single day. I took a significantly lower-paying job for this luxury though, and I haven’t regretted that decision.
Hi! Thank you 🙂 . I hope FI will help with this! I can’t see how it would hurt…That’s awesome you’re able to shut off. If you have any tips I’m all ears! It’s awesome you changed jobs to give yourself that luxury. One of the reasons my job is high paying is because I’m “always on” and always available. As a result I have a hard time turning it off. One colleague commented that they thought that’s actually one of the reasons I’m good at my job – because my brain is always working and trying to anticipate problems so if that problem pops up I often have already thought of a solution for it….I’d prefer to have some peace in this brain of mine though 🙂 . Thanks for commenting!
i don’t know about rejuvenation but they relax the hell out of me. years ago i had responsibilities and then took a lower qualification job with higher pay. f’ the ego and prestige. gimme the money and not having to think about work after i leave.
They are relaxing – I’ll give you that 🙂 . You got higher pay for lower qualifications?! I need some tips on how to do that! I’m all about forgetting the ego and prestige and am working on not having to think about work after I leave – I doubt it’s possible in my current career. Hmm…You’ve given me a lot to think about!
It usually takes me at least 4 days to unwind from work – as in feel less stressed. I don’t completely stop thinking about work after that whilst on holiday but at least it’s at the back of my mind, not the forefront.
I was off recently for a few weeks recuperating from an illness and after 2 weeks I had finally stopped thinking about work. Can’t wait for this to be a normal occurance. Bring on the FIRE!
That’s a good baseline: 4 days. I’ll try and remind myself to check in and see if I feel any better after that amount of time. That’s awesome it’s at the back of your mind on holiday. I’m jealous.
Oh no! I’m glad you’re feeling better. 2 weeks huh? That’s awesome you were able to do that at all. I need to learn from your wisdom 🙂 . And seriously I can’t even imagine how FIRE will feel, how not being stressed all the time will feel. Super excited.
I’m getting better at switching off when I’m on holiday the bigger my FU fund becomes. A couple of years ago I carried on answering emails every day, but now I un-enrol my email and know that if there is anything critical, a couple of very select people can WhatsApp me.
It’s also easier on a longer break. I’m currently in the middle of a two week vacation and just at the point where I’m not really thinking about work. It takes quite a few days to get to that, the first couple I’m constantly thinking about the office.
Two weeks? That’s awesome!! I’m glad you’re able to stop thinking about work. I might need to learn some tips and tricks from you! I should also probably accept that the first few days of vacation I will be thinking about work, instead of getting annoyed with myself and my brain.
Vacations are usually too short for me but I’d kill for a sabbatical.
Ooh a sabbatical sounds amazing! Is there any way to make it happen for you (short of murder)?