Staying on top of your email while on holiday can be challenging, daunting and stressful, when you’re meant to be relaxing.
(For those of you not currently on holiday) If you’ve read through the previous blog posts/newsletters, you’ll have a few tips to help reduce the stress of actually being on holiday and avoid spending too much time thinking about work!
However, there’s always the dread of returning to hundreds, if not thousands of emails and spending an anxious first day, overwhelmed and trying to catch up.
It’s impossible to avoid the constant influx of messages unless you manage to redirect them all to the trash bin. And the fear of missing important information or opportunities can make it difficult to fully disconnect while you’re away.
The need to respond to emails varies from business, some requests are more time critical than others, sometimes when you are your business, there’s no one else to respond.
I’ve been talking to a few clients recently about this exact thing, so I thought I’d share a few more practical tips, specifically relating to managing your email while on holiday.
1. Set Clear
Expectations
Before you leave, set up an automated out-of-office reply. Most people have got used to using these and it’s interesting to see what comes back when this newsletter goes out each week. Some are more informative than others.
Depending on who’s likely to read or receive, make sure it’s clear and informative.
- How long you’re away from the office.
- What date you return (to the office).
- Who to contact - if you have one.
- Whether you’re checking email while you’re away (the default response is no!)
An Out Of Office can even be used if you’re away from the office for a day or two and unlikely to be checking emails.
This is the first point for managing your emails. It lets your clients, customers and anyone else know you’re way from the office and they won’t expect a response from you during that time.
Set a reminder to switch it off on your return.
2. Establish Specific Check-in Times
For peace of mind or because you’re don’t have an alternate contact, instead of checking your email constantly,
designate a specific time during the day to check your inbox.
Depending on the time zone, this might be:
- first thing in the morning,
- in the evening before going out
- while relaxing by the pool
- during an
afternoon siesta.
This way you can stay up-to-date without disrupting your holiday time, as long as it doesn’t interfere with anyone else’s plans.
3. Limit Email Time
Set a strict time limit for checking and responding to
emails each day. Avoid getting sucked in and spending hours managing your email.
Instead focus on doing the minimum that’s needed so you can stay on top of your Inbox and still enjoy your holiday.
4. Use A Placeholder Email
Send a quick placeholder email. No more than a couple of lines to let them know you’re on holiday, when to expect a response or further information. If it’s a quick yes/no answer that’s required, this may be enough and is one less thing to be delayed until you return.
5. Use Email/Productivity Apps
Certain email management and productivity apps have features such as snooze, scheduled responses or automatic prioritising of messages. These will either automate the response or make it quicker for you to filter and organise your email, even while you’re away.
I’ve just been trialing SaneBox which
has features to train and redirect your email into different folders. If this is something you don’t already do with filters or rules, it may be worth looking at as a way to manage your email.
6. Reflect on Email Habits:
Lastly, use your holiday as an opportunity to reflect on your email habits and consider ways you can improve how you manage your email.
Are you able to switch off when you go away on holiday or do you find yourself being constantly drawn into work?
What could you do to streamline your communication process or reduce unnecessary emails in the future?
One of my clients has recently returned from holiday and while they would usually spend time working.
This time, having followed a few of these tips, they were able to spend far less time working and only had one work-related interruption.
They returned to just 50 emails in their Inbox, not the usual 1000’s they would normally expect having been away for two weeks.
Managing your email while on holiday doesn't have to be a stressful or time-consuming experience.
Remember, a well-managed inbox allows you to fully recharge and return to work with renewed energy and focus.
