It’s summer and the holidays approaches, for me and perhaps also for you. Even though I like my work, I always look forward to having some time away from it all. It both recharges me, and get me into a mindset of looking at things from a distance, rather than then constant day-to-day trench fighting that can describe even a good job.

In episode 18 of the HappyWays podcast I talk about how to prepare for a nice, good and stress-free time off. On the podcast you’ll hear me advise you to:

• The agreement you should have with coworkers regarding your vacation time


• How to prepare your desk for after the vacation


• Simple rules for email and phone use during your time away


• Questions to help you reflect on the bigger issues, to take stock of how you’re actually doing at work.

As for the last point, I find that it’s when I’m away for a while that random thoughts consolidate and I see the bigger picture. It’s often during times likes these that I decide to focus on new projects or ideas, or just as valuable: stop doing something.

The show ends with some tips on how to get back to work without instantly getting back into high alert. I share simple approaches like:

• How to handle email before getting back, and immidiately following


• How to approach working hours and overtime


• Connecting aging with your coworkers, since it’s them you’ll be spending the coming months with.

You’ll find the episode in the player above, or download the file here or you can listen via iTunes or Stitcher (buttons below). For a full list of episode go to this page. Thanks for your support, and please feel free to share the spisode with coworkers who are headed on vacation. And have a nice holiday yourselv.