Beat the urge to check email on holiday. Follow these 7 tips and relax!

Last year, an Instagram buddy tagged me in a post. She was going on holiday and wanted to switch off and relax but, like most of us, wasn’t sure she’d be able to go the whole week without checking her email. You can read Charlie’s full post (and check out her gorgeous feed) here, but here’s how it ended:

“Any tips for avoiding the urge to check the emails?! @louise_bettylou I'm looking at you!”

Well, since you asked…! I shared some ideas with Charlie and, as it’s holiday season here in the UK, I thought I’d share them with you too.

So, here they are: My six tips to avoid the urge to check your emails when you’re on holiday.

1.  Remove your mail app from your phone. Not forever (although….), just whilst you’re away.  For me, tapping on that app on my phone is like muscle memory; the twitch is too strong. Removing the app from my phone gives me back control and removes temptation!

2. Log out of your email provider on your computer to create an extra barrier to checking.

3. Set aside a decent chunk of time in your calendar to deal with your inbox when you're back. Then you can't use that old "I just need to keep on top of it so it's not a mess when I get back" excuse. (Come on now, own up … we’ve all told ourselves that at one time or another!)

4. Before your break, turn on an out of office telling people you won't be checking emails at all whilst you're off. Not that you'll have limited access, but that you'll have NO access. 

5. Now, if you do end up checking your emails and replying to someone, they'll know that you were telling fibs about not accessing your emails!

6. And if you're not going to reply, there's no point checking. It'll only make you feel crappy, and nobody wants to feel crappy on holiday!

7. Relax, switch off and have a great break, knowing that unplugging from your business for just a little while is absolutely the best thing you can do for it and for you. 

Are you taking a complete break from your business this summer? Will you be giving any of these tips a try? Let me know in the comments below … and do share where you’re off to!