BarcelonaThe holidays are the most anticipated time of the year for those who want to spend more time with their family, enjoy the good weather, read a novel or travel to the other side of the world. For many, the month of July becomes a countdown in order to reach their rest weeks and break, once and for all, with the routine they have been following for months. In addition, according to personal branding expert and CEO of INNERO, Arancha Ruiz, unconsciously, as the period approaches, people begin to notice how much they need them.
Another key factor in understanding the desire for holidays that many suffer from is the “tension” experienced in many companies during the month of July. Ruiz explains that, due to the fact that many companies close the results of the first half of the year in this month, “people tend to run to finish what they have to do”. In addition, people who have children also tend to arrive in August more tired. “Once school ends, children break their whole routine and parents have to adapt as best they can. That’s why they arrive at their free period with more enthusiasm,” he explains. However, disconnecting from work during the days off is not as easy as it seems and there are several tips that allow us to get away from it completely.
Screens outside
Ruiz explains that, in order to be able to escape from the routine, it is very important to leave the mobile phone and the computer far away. “Before leaving the office or workplace, it’s essential to send an email saying you’re on vacation,” he says. INNERO’s CEO insists that no matter how many messages you see coming into your inbox, you should “resolutely ignore them” and, if possible, uninstall the apps that everyone is related at work. According to him, when you manage to let go of this bond is when you look for alternative activities that do allow you to break the routine and allow you to disconnect completely.
The expert indicates that gaining this distance from work is also beneficial when returning to the workplace. “It’s very positive to be able to get away from productivity for a while and then perform better”, he says. In addition, Ruiz indicates that “you must know what you do, but also why”, and believes that, sometimes, “we lose the perspective of why we do what we do”. Getting away from screens is a way to explore new things and be able to connect with people or places we haven’t seen for a long time, and that’s why “it’s also very positive for innovation.”
Book time
During the holiday period, many people take the opportunity to dust off the Sant Jordi books they haven’t been able to read yet or to buy the new one bestseller and crunch it while sunbathing on the beach. Reading is the best way to disconnect from everyday life and transport yourself to an imaginary place. For this reason, Ruiz explains that she always recommends reading for a while every day in order to “get away from worries and connect with different environments”.
Sport to relax
Another way to disconnect from everyday life is to exercise: hiking in nature, re-greasing the bike chain or going for an early morning run are a good way to focus on the activity we are doing and stop thinking about work. According to the expert, “rest is also about changing activities”. Doing sport is a healthy way to surround ourselves with the environment around us and to get out of the house.
Lower productivity
Finally, Ruiz explains that it is very important to lower the tension. “Vacations are the time to do what we like best,” he says. He emphasizes the need to reduce productivity and assures that a good way to do this is by “consuming humor”. Ruiz assures that what should distinguish us is “imagination and having a particular vision of what surrounds us” and that this is achieved by nourishing ourselves with experiences during the periods we have for ourselves. “Vacations are still a period of personal learning in which we manage to generate new ideas that will serve us in the future.”