We live in a world where people are expected to be connected at all times. Between having smartphones practically glued to our hands lest we miss something on Facebook to the constant need to check our work email, unplugging from our digital world is hard. And yet, it’s something that needs to happen once in a while. For example, nobody can be expected to truly enjoy a vacation if they have to constantly monitor their social media accounts or respond to every email they receive.

If you really want to relax and have a good time during your next holiday, you need to unplug from the rest of the world. If that’s too hard for you, here are some tips that will help.

Don’t Worry About Work

One reason why so many people simply can’t unplug when they’re away from home is that they are terrified of missing out on something important at work. They might think someone will need them to perform an all-important task that only they can do, or they think a client or co-worker will need their advice about something. As a result, they end up checking their work email constantly when they should be doing something fun. Some of them do this out of habit. We understand that you have an important role to play at work; that’s why you have the job that you have, after all. 

Still, you have to understand that you aren’t the only one who can handle emergencies that might pop up. You have co-workers who can cover for you and supervisors who can let you know about any important goings-on after you come back. Tell yourself that your place of business will be just fine while you have fun and de-stress from work for a week or two. And no, you won’t be swamped when you come back as long as everyone else is doing their job.

Digitally Declutter

Just about everyone receives emails and messages that they don’t want. If you don’t want to be constantly bugged by notifications that you don’t care about, cancel some of the subscriptions that you don’t need and unfollow accounts that annoy you. You’d be surprised at how much this cuts down on the number of unwanted messages you get every day. While you’re at it, turn off your push notifications if you don’t want to be bothered at all for a while.

Put Your Phone Down

If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook or checking your email, just put your phone down for a while. Leave it in your hotel room when you go out, put it on the table face down when you sit down to eat, or do whatever you can to physically go without it for a while. It might feel stressful if you’re not used to being unplugged, but we guarantee you’ll get used to it and learn to relax.