on holiday?

“I love to have a few books, something easy to read like a Lee Child or John Grisham. I tend to listen to audio books when I drive to work but I find it hard to make the time to read actual books. Just stretching out with a real good book feels great. I also know that I’ve got a great team back at the office who can handle most things. They would only call me if there was an emergency. So a good book and a phone that isn’t ringing helps me to switch off.”

Pete Hanlon CTO Moneypenny

“I have got better at switching off when I am on holiday. I still check my emails, but generally manage to leave the laptop at home. Walking (it’s hard to concentrate on anything else when you are following a map or directions), reading, eating and drinking are the key constituents of a good holiday for me – and when I am doing any of those, it’s quite easy to remain in the moment! This is of course helped by having a fantastic team back in the office who I trust to make the right decisions!”

Clara Hughes Editorial director at VOX

“On my last family holiday, in November 2022, I decided to leave my mobile phone at home. This is something I haven’t done before but I’d recommend to anyone! It was an absolute game changer and I intend to do it on my next holiday. I packed some Lego and spent uninterrupted time building a race car with my toddler Ezra on the beach. Leaving my phone at home meant I could truly be with my family and have time to truly relax. I came back fully refreshed and recharged and raring to go!”

Guy Fennell Founder and director of

Pura

“On holidays, I put my phone on airplane mode to ensure no calls are received. I do like to check emails at least once a day – respond to any urgent messages etc – and this is a formula that seems to work well for both me and the family.”

Gareth Boyd Tours around Chester

“I find it very difficult is the easy answer – and being organised is the only way it can be done. The way I relax is get all of my ‘big project’ work done before we leave. We produce four seasonal newspapers a year – so I make sure we book our holidays well away from the three-week blocks that they take up.

When I’m away I rarely set my OOO. I do check emails twice a day at the very least, and this gives me peace of mind, which, in turn, helps me to relax for the rest of the time. I don’t think I’ll ever be a person that will be able to switch off completely...”

Izzy Grey Editor at We Love Good Times

“Holidays are tricky as there always seem to be a deadline just around the corner! The simple answer is, our holidays need to be planned around my business. I usually have to work extra hard before going away, to get as much done as possible, so I can switch off from work while away. I do make a point of not working on holiday, I put my phone to voicemail, but I do check and answer emails.”

Vicky Heathfield Creative director at VOX