Disconnecting from work on vacation: why some people find it harder

Disconnecting from work on vacation: why some people find it harder

Psychology

Being a victim of sustained stress over time, leaving tasks unfinished, beating yourself up in the previous days assuming a greater workload or living hooked on your mobile prevent the brain from getting enough rest in summer

It is true that when talking about vacation, whether in a work or personal environment, it is perceived in the environment that there is a desire for enjoyment, disconnection, of indulging oneself, of reunions and of feeling a bit of normality. But pandemic vacations are just that, pandemic vacations. Some people are still in teleworkingOthers have long since returned to their offices or to their face-to-face tasks, but what seems to be a common denominator is that this year there are many who arrive in the summer in a frenzy. Endless days, a greater effort “because things are very bad”, search for imaginative formulas to attract customers or to encourage the market or to incite

 to consumption (each one in his field), discreet results … And start over. The hamster wheel.

That exhaustion is precisely one of the main obstacles that prevent enjoyment and disconnection. In fact, as advised by psychologist Alba Rodríguez, from mundopsicólogos.com, it is important to set limits with respect to occupations for the rest of the year (work and social responsibilities) because if vacation time is used to continue carrying out those occupations we will not live a real rest. “A meaningful disconnection is essential to feel that we are really on vacation and progressively reduce the stress of the day to day,” advises Rodríguez. When these limits are not set, we can come to live the vacation stress syndrome, a syndrome that is characterized by the anxiety suffered by not being able to forget about work on those days. Some of the symptoms of this syndrome are: tiredness, insomnia and changes in appetite, difficulties in thinking and feelings such as sadness and lack of motivation.

Another reason why it is difficult to enjoy the summer is the fact that during the work period we have lived in a dynamic of sustained or sustained stress over time. This causes our mind to send constant signals to the body to keep it alert and prepared and when the holidays arrive, this activation has to be reduced from 100 to 0 in a very short time. The effect of this situation is, according to Graciela Salvador Juan, psychologist at TherapyChat, that our brain “short-circuits.” Somehow there is a kind of funnel effect that makes it difficult to channel and manage the excess of previous activation.

In addition, as the expert points out, if we cannot disconnect, this can cause physical and mental fatigue. Let’s think of our brain as a part of our body, such as the legs. Now imagine that we walk without rest and that we do not stop even though our legs burn. What could happen? Well, perhaps we experience a muscular overload with the risk of injury or even physical and mental fatigue derived from that leg fatigue that has been transferred to the rest of the body. Not letting our minds rest can work in a similar way and can negatively affect the strength of the immune system and mental health, making us more vulnerable to physical illnesses and emotional health problems, such as depression anxiety or the low self-esteem, Among others.

Practical guide to truly disconnect

Before the holidays:

● Organize and plan your work to get it done before you go on vacation. If there are tasks that you can tackle when you return from vacation, write them down in a list along with the information of when you will do those activities.

● Prepare your vacation by writing in a list the essential activities that you would like to do taking into account the time you have for it. Organize your time taking into account your personal leisure space and your social leisure space (friends, partner, family, etc.), and reserve exclusive time for rest and disconnection.

During the holidays:

● Disconnect of all those applications or platforms that connect you with work. Silence notifications or log out of corporate accounts to be able to disconnect 100%, and do not open them until your vacation period is over.

● Practice at full attention focused on the present to enjoy your vacation.

● Watch your thinking, that is, take your thoughts to your vacation. Think about what you have liked the most so far, what things you would like to do, or what activities have fun for you the most, for example. This will help you keep your work thoughts at bay.

● Dedicate yourself tiempo. What if you try to do what is pleasant and gives you well-being but you can never do it due to lack of time? Now is the time to do it.

● Exercise. Physical activity allows you to release adrenaline and helps both to fall asleep and to rest better.

The mobile and the laptop, far away

The ability to be reached through the phone all the time makes that complete disconnection difficult to accomplish. That is why the expert from Mundopsicologos.com explains that one of the keys to taking advantage of this period is to keep technological devices away during the day and only carry them with us in case we have a real need.

Another option that can help is set a schedule throughout the day to respond to messages or to consult social networks, but always limiting the practice to a short period of time either at the end or at the beginning of the day, according to Rodríguez advises.

The benefits of a real disconnect

On a psychological level, it allows to reduce anxiety levels and on a hormonal level, cortisol concentrations (a hormone related to stress) are reduced and the production of endorphins and dopamine is promoted, which helps us regain emotional stability.

The reduction of stress also contributes to reinforcing the Self esteem it allows a space to focus on ourselves, listen to our needs and take care of ourselves.

In addition, when you disconnect it is possible to return with more physical and mental energy, a greater capacity for concentration is achieved, memory increases, decision-making is more efficient and response capacity, faster. greater memory, a

What seems clear is that a rested and open brain is more creative and motivated, as Graciela Salvador argues: «Our brain needs to disconnect from tasks, responsibilities and self-demands, like any other machine that works at full capacity. We all understand that a car cannot be driven 365 days a year without filling it with gasoline, changing the oil, having it serviced or letting the engine rest every ‘x’ time ». And that is what we have to do on vacation, a set-up both from the physical and mental fields.