Which is why you should extend your boss the courtesy of a proper heads up — whether you’re taking three days or two weeks off. Not only will they appreciate it, but you’ll no doubt reap the benefits too.
Then — here comes my trick — you’re going to want to do a reverse countdown, like the one I created before my honeymoon last summer.
To help you do that, I’ve created this simple worksheet for you to fill out.
It’s hard to get ahead if you leave things to the last possible minute. Not to mention, knowing you have time off planned in two months gives you a chance to think of the coming weeks, dispersing a little work here and a little work there, rather than attempting to squeeze it all into a small window.
And while it might be unrealistic for you to get everything done before you leave, my guess is that your supervisor’s likely to be a lot more amenable to helping you take stress-free time off if you’ve been thoughtful about what taking that time will mean for your team. (For example, sharing this completed worksheet when you request your time off.)
If taking a stress-free vacation is as easy as spending 15 to 30 minutes coming up with a plan — and I think it is — you can ensure that you’re not engaging in one of the “most common negative employee behaviors at this time of year.”
After all, why spend your summer sitting in the office or stressing when you’re not there when you can avoid both?
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The free worksheet that’ll make taking vacation so much less stressful originally appeared on The Muse