It Takes Planning To Unplug

We are in the full swing of summer, and hopefully you’ve already had a wonderful vacation or one is on the horizon. I had the opportunity to spend six days in Maui celebrating my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We started planning nine months in advance so I could be away from my desk for five days! That may sound a little extreme, but my goal was to truly unplug and we have monthly magazines to promote and produce.

“The Work Life Balancing Act” written by Katie Bascus truly speaks to the need to be “away” from work. Bascus gives a few great pointers for maintaining a balance. “1) unplug; 2) fully engage in your downtime; and 3) use your energy wisely.”

I work from a home office, so the get-away-from-it-all challenge is a real challenge. I try to consciously balance my family/work time each day. At 5 p.m., I turn off my computer and I walk out of my office. This usually accomplishes both my ability to unplug and engage. And Bascus’ tip that I took full advantage of recently — “Go on vacation when you go on vacation!” To do that and feel great about it took some real planning. Good communication to our clients and colleagues made it a smooth week, not just for me, but for everyone.

I’ve realized that for me, balance really comes down to one thing – unplugging from technology. And it’s much easier to unplug when you plan for it, whether it’s evenings or a big vacation. I admit I was tethered to some parts of technology during my vacation, mainly text messages since we were traveling with a group of people. But by day two, I had completely stopped checking email and social media. I unplugged and it was wonderful. I was fully engaged with my surroundings and my family. It was an amazing vacation. (Check out my postcard-like photo. What a sunset!) I would encourage each of you to give it a try – plan to unplug, especially if you have a family. You might just like it. Have a great summer, friends!

— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.