How to FULLY switching off on holiday (and the magic that happens when you do)

A step-by-step guide on how to do it and why it can be so life changing

(You can listen to today’s newsletter read out by me as an audio 🤗 )

As we get ready to step into summer holiday season, I want to take a moment to talk about the (increasingly difficult) art of fully switching off on holiday. And why I am on a mission this summer to get as many people as possible to give it a go.

Because having spent a good ten years never fully switching off on holiday, when I finally did give it a go I discovered that it was a profoundly life changing experience. And ever since then I’ve made sure that every year I have a completely unplugged holiday for at last one week. 

My nervous system needs it, my creativity needs it and my soul needs it. 

And if I don’t do it I run a high risk of burning out. 

But in a world where we can now carry our work and to-do lists with us wherever we go, fully switching off on holiday can be increasingly hard to do. 

And so I’ve created a mini step-by-step guide on how to fully switch off on holiday which you’ll find at the bottom of this post.

But first here is my own story of how I finally dared to fully unplug on a summer holiday and how it changed my life. 

I never used to fully switch off when I went on holiday. Ever.

For a good 10 years there wasn’t a single holiday that I went on, where I wasn’t covertly answering emails, creating content or sometimes even running full blown sales campaigns, while appearing to relax on a sun lounger.

I told myself I didn’t need to fully switch off. I loved the work I did, so why would I need a break?

And it wasn’t like I was working full time on holiday. Just a few emails here and there. Maybe a quick hour in the morning of writing and then another in the evening. And a few bits and pieces during the day from the comfort of a sun lounger. 

Plus wasn’t that the dream anyway? To be able to work from your laptop from the beach?

Wasn’t that what freedom looked like? 

Actually that’s what a functioning workaholic looked like.

Unable to switch off from work. Even when I was on holiday. And making all sorts of excuses as to why it was OK.

But it wasn’t OK. 

And that refusal to switch off would, eventually, lead to a series of burnouts that would change the course of my life.

But today is not about that particular story. Today is about how I finally took the radical decision of going on a holiday where I fully switched off.

No work, no social media, not even a self-help book was allowed into my luggage. 

For one week, all thoughts about work were suspended and every to-do list (unless holiday-related) was put on hold.

I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous about switching off entirely for a whole week.

I knew I could manage a weekend, but an entire week was something I hadn’t attempted in a looooong time.

My anxious attachment to work ran deep and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to shut that part of my brain down. 

But I was determined. I felt sure that if nothing else, taking a full week off from work and daily responsibilities, would give me the rest I so desperately needed.

And I was right. It did. 

But I also got SO much more than that. 

I came away from that holiday feeling like a whole new woman - more energised, more grounded, more at peace than I had felt in years.

And not only that, but while I was busy not thinking about life and work, my unconscious mind finally had a chance to get clear on the direction I really needed to be going in, so that I came away from that holiday feeling clear on where I wanted to head to next in my career and with a deep-rooted confidence that I would absolutely get there. 

Considering I arrived at that holiday completely shattered and sobbed on my sun lounger on the first day, to find myself feeling more alive, joyful, grounded and peaceful than I had done in years was nothing short of miraculous. 

And this is why I now believe so firmly in the healing power of a holiday.

Because when we fully switch off from our work and daily to-do lists, we allow ourselves to deeply rest, to return to the present moment and to return to ourselves. 

And when you team that up with pleasure as your priority, you fill up your cup in a deep and life affirming way, so that not only do you come out the other side feeling fully recharged, but you also often emerge from your holiday with a fresh perspective on life - clear on what you want to focus on next in life and the belief that you really can make it happen.

But in a world where our boundaries between life and work are increasingly blurred (particularly when you are self-employed), actually fully unplugging from work like that, seems to be increasingly hard to do. 

If you’re going to do it, you have to get intentional about it.

And so, here is my mini-guide on how to fully switch off on holiday…

Your guide to having a fully switched off holiday

Now, first of all, when I say ‘holiday’, don’t go thinking you have to jet off anywhere special. You can experience all the healing benefits of a holiday without leaving your home. Just as you can experience zero benefits of a holiday if you’re lying on a sun lounger while working on your phone. 

The key is that you give yourself at least 5 days where zero work is done (or even thought about) and your time is spent entirely focused on your own pleasure and enjoyment.

Once you have booked that holiday time in, whether you’re heading away from home or enjoying a staycation, it’s time to get ready for the big switch off. 

Before you go on holiday…

☀️ Let people know you’ll be disappearing

Let people know well in advance that you are going to be hitting the OOO button and will NOT be available on this upcoming holiday. If they need to be able to contact you in case of a real work emergency then let them know how they can do that. Ideally give them the number of someone you’re going to be on holiday with or a number where you are staying if you’re going solo. That creates a good solid boundary that people are unlikely to step over unless it really is a very real emergency.

☀️ Accept that there will be some loose ends that won’t be tied up before you go. ACCEPT IT.

The pre-holiday mad rush is a real thing. It’s one of the reasons so many people arrive at their holiday destination so flipping exhausted. Because they attempted to tie up every loose end in their life before switching on their OOO. People do this in the run up to the Christmas holidays too, feeling the pressure to get EVERYTHING done before the year ends and it has to stop. It’s an impossible task. You will never, I repeat never, get all the loose ends tied up. Not ever. Stop trying. Accept that some things will have to remain undone until you get back from hols. 

☀️ Pack things that will help your brain to switch off from work

If you have a brain that struggles to switch off, then you’re going to need to do things on your unplugged holiday that help to absorb your mind in nourishing ways: getting out in nature, reading a novel, making things with your hands, crosswords, sudoku, puzzles. Have a think about what you need and make sure you pack things that you might not be able to get at your holiday destination.

☀️ Identify what digital switch offs are going to need to happen when you’re away

You don’t want to have work emails or social media notifications popping up on your phone, luring you back into the matrix while you’re on your unplugged holiday, so identify in advance what you’re going to have to switch off or even temporarily delete from your phone while you’re away.

When the time comes, mark the moment your big switch off officially begins

It can be really powerful to mark and celebrate the moment your big switch off begins. What will it be for you? The moment you turn on your OOO, delete the social media apps from your phone or shut your laptop after that final email is sent? And then what will you do to celebrate it? Have a cocktail, start your new novel, or simply shut your laptop, take a deep breath and smile to yourself ‘the switching off has begun’.

Whatever you do, take a moment to celebrate crossing over the threshold into full-time pleasure and relaxation. It’s an important moment.

During your fully switched off holiday

☀️ Give a light structure to your day

If you are used to having a day that is heavily scheduled and structured then having no schedule at all can actually feel very overwhelming. So if you find yourself feeling lost, untethered or overwhelmed by so much freedom, have a go at adding some light structure to your day. For example, an activity after breakfast, an activity after lunch and an activity for the evening. It can be simple things like going for a walk, reading your novel, playing a game. But knowing what your day is going to consist of and having a framework to it can help you to feel grounded and settled, rather than all over the place.

☀️ Give your brain things to chew on

A mind that is used to always being switched on and active won’t know how to rest. You need to help it by giving your mind activities that absorb your attention and help you relax: reading, making things with your hands, physical activity, puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, photography, journaling, cooking, exploring, playing cards or other games. If you don’t know what works for you then this is a great time to experiment.

Switching off fully can feel hard to do at first, particularly if you haven’t done it for a long time. In fact don’t be surprised if at first you feel restless,  anxious, or emotional. This is simply a sign that your nervous system needs a little time to settle down into this new slower gear. 

Trust your body and your brain. They know what to do. They are designed for deep relaxation. All you need to do is keep following the steps above and before you know it you will start to feel your shoulders drop, time expand and those delicious feelings of contentment, peace and rest will start to flow.

And when eventually the holiday comes to an end and you plug back into the world of daily activity and work, come and let me know how you got on and I will celebrate with you. 

Because unplugging in a world that tells us we should always be switched on is a beautiful and powerful thing to do for yourself. And it deserves to be celebrated.

x Selina