I have a real problem (ok, maybe more than one) and I’m not proud of it.

It is INCREDIBLY hard for me to unwind/separate myself from work.  A day off to me rarely seems like a day off.  Rather, it seems more like I spend the first half of the day thinking about what I could be doing at work, and the second half thinking about what I need to do to prepare for the next day’s work.  Where’s the relaxation in that?

What I’ve often appreciated about December is the fact that our clientele have other priorities than 4-H this month.  Holidays, family time, or just enjoying earlier evenings at home due to the shorter days.  I realized several years ago in the crazy busy 4-H calendar I needed to take advantage of this.  Because of this I limit the number of planned programs I do this time of year, and always plan to add extra days of leave either to the beginning or end of the holiday leave the University allows such that I can have an extended break.  I hope you have a similar plan this year, or consider how you might do such next year.

Some things to remember:

• Turn on your away message.  Don’t leave clients guessing as to when they might hear back from you.
• Getting back into the “swing of things” at work the first few days can be challenging.  Before you leave for your break– leave your to do list on your desk.  Then you’ll be able to jump right back in once you return, without having to mull over what to do first.
• Mark your calendar during this break for your next break.  If you don’t save it now, those dates will quickly be filled.

Check out this infographic for more suggestions on how to enjoy your vacation/staycation: