Curing the O.O.O. Aftermath

As I drove down Highway 1 looking out at the Pacific Coast, I started my exit from vacation and entry back into the real world. After three days of being checked out completely (no service, no texts, no emails, no calls), my mind and body felt better than ever. I was filled up from quality time skipping rocks, chasing waterfalls, and time around the campfire with my partner and our four kids. 

But as I drove that winding road home, I felt a sense of panic creep in. I didn’t want to turn on my phone and see ‘em: those tiny anxiety bubbles on the corner of each app icon. The ones telling me how much I had missed and what I had to catch up on. I delayed re-entering the real world as long as I could, but eventually, it had to happen. 

As the notifications flowed in, the next step became clear. I needed to come up with a plan—a little light structure around my comeback—to protect the good vacation vibes and my refreshed energy. What I did next worked for me, and I’m hoping will help you too. 

As we jump into the summer months, consider these OOO tips. It’s possible to fully benefit from your time away and joyfully get back to business. Here’s how.

O.O.O. Aftermath Tips:

The best way to set yourself up for a positive reentry is to get ahead of it. Here are a few things to make sure you do before you go OOO:

Talk about it 

The only way to protect your space is to communicate your boundaries ahead of time. Talk with your team, your boss, and your clients about the time you’ll be away and how you plan to handle your reentry. Consider not being available at all (it’s ok to unplug!) and let them know. Provide alternate solutions for when someone may need you and ask for collaboration and support. In positive work cultures, teams will work together to cover each other and clients will be respectful of your need for space as long as solutions are communicated and agreed upon. 

Also, don’t be afraid to share why you’re taking OOO time. This article from Harvard Business Review shows the benefits of a thoughtful OOO message. We all need and deserve downtime, giving more context to your “why” helps create lasting connections.

Let ego go

Give your team permission and ownership over tasks or projects so effective progress can be made while you’re gone. This can be tough when you’re in a leadership position, but it’s important to learn to let go. On her Instagram, Shonda Rhymes recently shared a video about delegation “If somebody else can do that job even 40% as good as you, delegate the job,” she says.” Because guess what? You’re not God and you’re not perfect. You’re not the only one who can do it and you’re not the only person that can do it well. They might surprise you.” 

Learning to delegate usually starts before OOO time. How can you start letting ego go now to set yourself up for more free time and give your team the opportunity to rise?

When coming back to the real world:

Ease in

Don’t jump back in as soon as those notifications do. Allow yourself time to get home, unpack, and let your mind ease back into reality. Buffer your reentry with at least a half-day to settle in. Your phone will be there waiting when you’re ready—leave it alone for now.

Task block & prioritize

If you try to tackle everything all at once it’s likely to get overwhelming. Designate chunks of time for different tasks. For example, if you manage a team and clients, separate out which group is most urgent to communicate with and then work on one at a time. I set aside my first hour of reentry to tackle client/partner emails, then I catch up on internal Slack channels and Asana (our project management tool) the following hour. Consider putting off meetings until your second day back or until you’ve had at least a half-day to yourself to catch up on communication.

Don’t overdo it

The best way to counter all the positive effects of rest is to do too much too soon. Instead, take breaks, eat lunch away from your desk, and leave the office at a decent hour (side note: you should always do this!). If you prioritize well, you’ll find there are tasks that can be saved for the next day or two.

Finally, and most importantly:

Take note

Time away from the office is so important for our mental and physical health. Quiet time outside of your routine provides space to reflect and recenter. To get the full benefits of your vacation, make sure you pay attention to how you feel when you get back to your desk. What are you excited to come back to? What brings your energy down? Use this time and fresh perspective to consider your overall work satisfaction and if any changes need to be made. We create our best work when we’re truly excited to do it—and when we’re well-rested, too. 

I hope you get #OOO soon!