Kiss work goodbye

So you haven't finished all your allotted tasks before you jet off, and you're already thinking about everything you've got to do when you get back. You're even starting to regret having booked the holiday...STOP right there.
 
The sun will still set in the sky whether or not you finish that file you were working on. There's no point in letting work spoil your holiday - it's just not professional! You can either let it spoil your fun or tell yourself that it can wait until you get back.

So when you start to panic and guilt-trip about going away, this is a good time to organise your return to work. Make a definitive list of everything you need to deal with, number in order of importance, what you need to do and when you're doing to do it, and make space for it all in your diary AFTER your holiday. Spend a maximum of half a day preparing and organising your schedule when you get back, so that you have your action plan ready and you can leave your guilty conscience in the office!

Leave your phone at home
Leave your mobile, computer and BlackBerry at home and don't check your work email if you have access to it. It can wait. Answerphones were invented for a reason. If there's a real emergency, someone else can deal with it. If all your colleagues are going away at the same time, the office closes and that's that. Don't forget that the key to being effective is making informed and thought-out decisions. You've decided you're going on holiday and you've organised how things are going to pan out when you get back, so now you can concentrate on enjoying yourself!