10 Self-Care Tips for a Great Vacation
Tags: career, watercooler, beginners, tutorial
Published: 2022-06-30 12:15:11

As I sat on a bench on my vacation, watching my [better halves](https://dev.to/solidi/five-more-minutes-5b7d) browse in the *Olde Shoppes*, I identified my *vacation behaviors* to maximize decompression and minimize exhaustion. With the goal of self-care and peaceful continuity, I wrote a list of practical actions to promote a healthy relationship with my employer.

## Starting with My Manager
A great vacation starts with a good relationship with [my manager](https://dev.to/solidi/what-is-an-engineering-manager-anyway-4and). In time, I'll discuss supportive vacation needs, who can support the team in my absence, and uphold ongoing work so I can enjoy the time away.

Occasionally, stepping away from what I own is a challenge. By checking in periodically, my pattern had caused stressful vacations, a regular occurrence [until I burned out](https://medium.com/@solidi/my-goal-is-to-ship-c772f63c278d). After breaking down, I said no to my illicit behaviors.

## Self-Care Tips for a Better Vacation
Assuming relations with the manager are great, and [project management](https://dev.to/solidi/what-is-a-project-manager-anyway-fbb) applies schedule adjustments to meet goals. Practicing self-constraint begins with a list of reasonable guidelines. What are my patterns of self-care?

**1. Pressing pause on meetings** - committing to meetings during a break, especially in the middle, is a recipe for a ruined holiday. I may acquire information during the meeting that is a time-sensitive action item. It's best to leave the sessions until I return.

**2. Setting away messages** - to signal clear intentions, I set an away message, decline meetings in the vacation path, and place an out-of-office block on the calendar. If an appointment is necessary, I'd know by the owner's response to my declined invite. We will reschedule when I return.

**3. Emails and Slack can wait** - [responding to a message](https://medium.com/@solidi/reply-all-considered-harmful-f895beb5eabc) can interrupt vacation. Checking for who sent a message has an exacting mechanism, as I will acquire information and may be called to action, which inflicts stress.

**4. Reassign stories and tasks** - my assigned timeboxed duties may be incomplete as I step away for vacation. Before leaving, I'll communicate expectations to those who await results, asking for a team reassignment or alternative closing strategy. To uphold my reputation, I'd like to leave with questions answered about unfinished work.

**5. Leave the notebook behind** - during vacations, I avoid taking my work notebook with me. Keeping a distance from the accessibility is essential, and communicating my intention of space is a courtesy to the team. And if I am scheduled for on-call support, I partner with a teammate to schedule an override.

**6. Limit screen time** - since computers and phones are accessible around me, I'd sometimes drift into working on [passion projects during vacation](https://dev.to/solidi/do-you-have-a-forever-project-kpk). Balancing this time is a conscious effort, and it's *sometimes* essential to say no, stepping away from the screen.

**7. Balance domain knowledge** - while being an expert in a particular [product area](https://dev.to/solidi/what-is-a-product-manager-anyway-3pc4) has its benefits, it has a way of coming back to me while taking a vacation. So if I suspect I am the primary contact, I proactively share knowledge, promoting a convo of support. I'll work towards providing the team with a delegate in my absence.

**8. Consider contiguous days** - achieving decompression within a few short days can be challenging for me—taking a Friday and banking on the weekend for relief usually falls short. So, I try to take contiguous work days. My ideal length of time is a work week.

**9. Asking for giveback days** - I'll speak to my manager about *giveback days* for those vacations where I am required to act unexpectedly. Few managers will proactively give these credits to those they call in, but for those who forget, ask. Importantly, I've learned I was critical, so I'll attempt to balance out the knowledge next time.

**10. Compartmentalize FOMO** - my fear of missing out is a constant reality. I must believe [the team will cover](https://levelup.gitconnected.com/in-software-philosophy-is-delegation-c786dd3a16cf). The work will be there when I return, so it's best to take the vacation fully, diving into diversions and enjoying those around me.

## What I Do Reflects on Others
Discovering these common-sense items took time. More so, to have the self-restraint to say, "No, don't do that!" Of course, I sometimes drifted too far, scolding myself for acquiring information [I've stewed on](https://medium.com/hackernoon/the-manager-stew-dd59cd653728) for the remaining vacation.

How I behave on vacations has a reflective property within the team. Whatever I do, is what they *may* do. I'll remember to take a better break, returning well-rested and at my best for the team. More so, my family will appreciate my efforts to be present.