Disconnecting During Travel: Struggles and Successes
I’d like to begin this post by expressing my sincere #gratitude for the opportunity to travel globally, both for work and play! I traveled to New Zealand for an extended amount of time in late 2019. Part of the trip was work-related, and part of the trip was recreational. Having completed many of my goals and tasks I set before leaving the house, I thought it would be very simple to disconnect for this trip. I was wrong!
At the airport, getting ready to disconnect.
Some days, I was successful, barely checking email or social media. Other days, I found pockets of time to keep things updated and to do some work. As a person who has a bachelor's degree in Adventure Recreation, I understand and believe in all of the benefits of recreation and disconnecting. I often serve as coach or advisor to my clients, reminding them to do this with their time off.
Work related meeting in Wellington, NZ.
So why was this so hard? Readily available internet access removed a barrier that I have had on past international trips where access was sporadic. With the time difference between New Zealand and the US, I found it important to check up on things. If I woke up in the middle of the night, it was easy to reply to to an email, or to reply to comments on my blog because it was daytime in the US.
As an entrepreneur, I feel like my work is never really done. A fear of falling behind, along with aspirations for an excellent 2020 kept me connected. Finishing up the end of a year from a distant location, as excellent as technology is, was a challenge. I took the time to draft this blog during an extended series of delays at the airport (10 hours total!).
10+ Hour delay in Wellington, NZ gave lots of time to draft blogs!
To improve my ability to disconnect on future trips consisting of both work and play, I have thought of a few strategies.
Strategies for the Future Travel
Scheduling blocks of time to check email and use social media (e.g., 10-11 am), and stick to the scheduled plan
Only connect with clients during their emergencies
Take a break from wifi at accommodations - schedule days off
Set goals for the trip beforehand about how I want to spend the vacation / play portion of trip
Define digital usage guidelines or goals before the trip
Use tablet or phone offline unless during scheduled times to read books, watch downloaded movies and music, journal, etc). FYI- Hulu and Amazon Prime movies did not work for me internationally on this trip. Vimeo and Youtube did work.
On a positive note, I certainly enjoyed this trip! Hiking, cycling, and horseback riding filled my days with joy, especially with excellent weather. During these pursuits, I was completely disconnected. Maybe I should have packed the trip with more adventures and less down time to promote disconnecting!
What are ways that you have found to disconnect from work during extended travels? Comment below.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. HOW DO YOU DISCONNECT FOR TRAVEL? I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WRITING THIS STORY, SO IF YOU ENJOYED IT, PLEASE CONSIDER SHARING, AND LEAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY. I’D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!
Also check out my blog Minimalist Ultralight Travel Guide for Business Entrepreneurs to see what I packed and my blog on the Top 10 Travel Items: Global Minimalist Ultralight Travel for Entrepreneurs
Disclaimer: This very helpful post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that should you click any of the links and make a purchase, I may get a small commission at absolutely no cost to you.
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About the Author:
Sarah Scala is a senior talent management leader and executive coach with 20+ years of experience providing organization development, change management, and leadership development solutions for diverse global and local industries. She is a collaborative consultant, coach, and educator supporting performance transformation of executives, leaders, and teams. Sarah is a methodical, results-driven leader recognized for helping clients reach their highest potential, increase revenue, reduce turnover, elevate business profitability, build competencies, and improve performance.
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