Tech tips for an unplugged vacation
CHICAGO — With summer travel kicking off, we’re offering several tips on how to really disconnect from work electronically. After all, isn’t taking a minute to enjoy a breathtaking view more important than a corporate email? We think so.
Disable email. Actually, disable everything. Turn off your work email, and really hide it. For example, on an iPhone, go to “settings” and then “mail”. Go to “accounts”, and swipe the button to turn off your work email account, so it won’t automatically download emails or show the red number of new messages.
Also, disable alerts. We do not understand why people feel the need to have a palmsized list of updates from “homes you might like” and “news that may scare you”. Create a smartphone environment where you seek out information.
Another way to do that? Log out of everything. We don’t download apps for everything. And we don’t save all passwords. So when we check social media, it requires actually typing in a website, username and password. Each layer serves as a check to see whether it’s really more important than . T whatever you’re doing in real life.
Remove calendars from your phone. If you’re the type who has work calendars, or any calendars, connected to your smartphone, remove them.
Your only appointment is with the beach, the mountains or a good book.
Set up a solid out-of-office message. Do this early, so that you’re not stressing about typing it out before heading to the airport.
Use airplane mode, even after landing. Many people suggest swiping that airplane icon up whenever you can. Airplane mode doesn’t allow accessing the internet for everything you need, but it does put an end to alerts, in case you didn’t have the strength to disable alerts.