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Vacations never seem to come along at a “good” time.

We always seem to be in the midst of a huge project, and it can be tough to step away from the decisions and conversations.
The question naturally arises: Should you check email while on vacation?

I’ve taken both approaches in the past.But to be honest, I usually lug my laptop along with me and find a way to connect. But we just returned from our most recent family vacation. And this time, I didn’t check email.

I’d like to say that this was all about me wanting some Zen-like 24×7 time with the family (which is mostly true).
But the real reason for the email ban was that it was just too difficult.
We were on a cruise in the Caribbean this time. And internet access was both spotty and expensive.

Was it hard not to check email?

In the beginning, I would have to say yes.
(I actually got my last email “fix” on the airport run-way as we prepared to depart in the wee hours of the morning.)
I’ll admit that it was tough to kick the email addiction and I was definitely tempted.

After surviving a week without email, however, I have new-found rave reviews for this strategy.

Here are my top 3 reasons for not checking email while on vacation:

1)      Connections from remote, vacation hotspots can be difficult.
Is it really worth your precious limited “vacation” time to work through these logistics?

2)      Vacations are designed to allow you to step away.
When we check email frequently, we keep getting pulled back into work mode.  This doesn’t give us the break that we need.

3)      The world can survive without you for a bit.
With the right amount of prep and groundwork, you can prepare others to live without you for a short amount of time. Give other people a chance to fill in while you are gone. You may even be surprised with how smoothly everything runs.

Are there any situations where it makes sense to check email while on vacation?

Sure, exceptions can be justified. You might consider checking email if you have the discipline to only check it periodically or if you are away for an extended period of time and truly need to remain involved.

So what is your strategy? Are you planning to check email during your next vacation?

I would love to hear your comments.