Taking Zoom calls from your hotel room or answering emails while boarding a plane is not an uncommon task for the modern-day traveler. Productivity apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams have made it nearly impossible to escape work life in our free time. Unplugging from work is one of the best parts of vacation, but that requires planning accordingly. Too often, the anticipated relaxation periods are plagued by intermittent work distractions, early morning email checks, or simply worry about work piling up during the absence. As a result of our global inability to disconnect from technology and work, platforms like Instagram are now encouraging users to take periodic breaks from the app through their new feature, "Take a Break." 

When traveling, it's important to disconnect so you can be present to enjoy the fruits of your labor. This time is not only well deserved, but it will also greatly improve your work as studies also show that rest boosts your productivity and efficiency. When your brain is well rested, it is more alert and less likely to make mistakes. Lack of sleep impacts a person's cognitive functions, which can mean lack of focus, reduced attention to detail and less than optimal decision making.  

Rest, recharge, reset.  

At Overland Yukon, we see providing our visitors with outlets to explore the Yukon as just one part of the experience. Our goal is to give you the knowledge and resources that will help you benefit from your time in the Yukon to the fullest. That is why we have put together seven tips on how to disconnect from work while on vacation that can be lifesaving.  

We all need a break. There’s no way to do it than travelling to a beautiful place that makes you realize just how minimal your problems truly are.  

How Can I Plan Ahead?  

Prepare in advance how you will make sure all your tasks are completed over your break. Communicate early and often with your clients and colleagues about your upcoming vacation, and work with them to find solutions on how to adjust while you’re away. Create buddy systems and empower other colleagues to take ownership of your projects for the time being. Make sure you trust them to accomplish a great job, but ensure you’re setting them up with the resources to do so. This will look different for each team, but simple things like ensuring they have the passwords for the accounts they'll be managing while you’re gone are essential and can easily be forgotten. 

Group planning applications like Monday, Asana, and Slack allow multiple team members to collaborate on projects at once and build their own team managing systems. These platforms are useful for managing tasks and staying in tune with what’s happening while you’re gone. Slack’s Huddle feature allows you to join from any location and engage in quick team huddles that of five to ten minutes. If you have conflicting schedules, you can also send and record audio clips to communicate easily with your team on-the-go.

Don't book anything important the day before your vacation or the first day back. Instead, try to wind down and prepare your work environment for your leaving a few days or weeks before you leave. This might mean trying to wrap up key tasks, reaching key project milestones, delegating work, and preparing key clients and colleagues for your time away.  

Set up a customized outgoing voicemail and auto reply email that say how long you'll be out and who to contact in your absence. You’ll be able to listen to your voicemails and read your emails upon your return, and people won’t be left wondering why you may have not yet returned their messages. 

What is the Minimum Amount of Work Connectivity I Can Tolerate? 

What is the minimum connectivity that will be accepted at your job? It may not be feasible to disconnect for the entire duration of your trip, but you should plan to use a check-in system that works with your colleagues. If you have to check emails, try to set a daily limit for yourself of one to two times per day. Turn your notifications off during family activities and use your phone only to capture photographic memories of the intimate family moments of the trip. Don't succumb to email grazing your entire vacation. Moments like these are precious, and you will be glad you stayed present for them. 

Are There Any Platforms or Accounts I'll Be Disconnecting From? 

Determine which accounts you will not be using and plan accordingly. Get clear up front about how you will separate your work and personal communications when using email, social media, and text messaging. Answering a message from your sibling should not be seen as an opportunity to answer five work-related emails at the same time.  

If all the information needed for your travel itinerary is in your inbox, how can you avoid checking it? TripIt is an itinerary manager that you can connect directly to your email account. It monitors incoming emails for anything that looks like a travel confirmation and puts it into an itinerary you can access from the web or the TripIt app on your device. You will not only avoid your inbox, but you will also have an easier way to keep track of travel details and share them with others.  

Pack Only Personal Devices 

Make your life simpler by using your smartphone instead of taking your computer or tablet. You don’t want your laptop staring at you and reminding you of all the work you have to take care of once you’re back. When you have just your smartphone handy, you can quickly check in and see what's going on, but you can also tune out so you can still be present with your day.

Choose Remote Destinations 

A good rule of thumb if you’re searching for deeper relaxation during your travels is to choose remote travel destinations rather than big cities. When you visit a remote location, you can completely detach yourself from the world around you. Big cities can be overstimulating. Our lives are already urbanized, and we are vacationing for a change of pace.  

As Yukoners, we embrace simple living and lean into what's important by leading calm lives. There is something unique about the pristine, remote nature of this location. Material possessions seem insignificant in this environment. Many of our visitors travel with us to escape reality and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a traveler. Traversing the Yukon's wilderness and living minimally with just the gear in your vehicle, the Overland Yukon experience connects visitors with the strange, magical, untouched beauty that defines the Yukon.  

If you’re lucky, you may spot the world’s largest mammal migration of the Porcupine caribou. Every spring, the porcupine caribou herd embarks on the longest land mammal migration in the world, covering over 2400 kilometers from the Northwest Territories, Yukon and into Alaska. Once autumn arrives, the caribou make an equally amazing return journey southwards. 

Early spring and late autumn are the best times to catch a glimpse of these migrations. Porcupine caribou migrate through the park during these seasons and can be seen along Dempster Highway as the herds move between breeding grounds in the north and south. Because of its unpredictable nature, the timing changes every year, making it a matter of chance. However, a glimpse of the migration will remain in your memory forever. 

Check out this article for other great remote travel destinations. 

Disable Notifications

Disable any work-related notifications on your phone and computer for the length of your vacation. If you have a Mac or iOS device, you can disable notifications app-by-app or by using the "Do Not Disturb" function. Android users can disable notifications individually or by downloading an app that disables notifications everywhere. With Windows, users can disable notifications by using another user account or by turning off notifications associated with a specific application, such as Outlook. 

Lock Down Work-Related Accounts

Disconnect from certain accounts altogether by limiting your access to them. Spend some time on your personal Instagram during your trip but avoid checking your business account every two minutes to see what’s happening. You can do this by logging out of your account. Instagram’s algorithm practically begs you to open the platform, so you’ll need a strategy for how to avoid the constant “pings” from your phone.

Lower Your Daily Instagram Limit Using The “Take A Break” Feature

The Daily Limit feature will remind you to close Instagram once you’ve used it. Usually, your daily limit might be set around 1 or 2 hours per day. For your trip, you might want to reduce it to 20 or 30 minutes. 

How to set a daily Instagram limit: 

1. Open Instagram and tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner. 

2. Tap the three stacked lines at the top-right corner of the page, then tap Your Activity. 

3. In the Time tab, under Manage Your Time, tap Set daily time limit (iPhone) or Set Daily Reminder (Android). 

4. Choose how long you want your daily time limit to be. On an iPhone, you'll be able to choose 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours. On an Android, you can pick any amount of time up to 23 hours and five minutes. 

5. Tap Done (iPhone) or Set Reminder (Android). 

Once you hit your time limit, a pop-up will appear notifying you that it’s time to “Take A Break”. 

Where Can I Find Wi-Fi?   

If you need internet access for a portion of your trip, ensure that the area where you are staying has access. Wi-Fi may seem like it's available anywhere, but when traveling in foreign lands, you may find yourself without access for days. Only a select few towns and hubs in the Yukon have Wi-Fi access (Whitehorse, Carcross, Dawson City, Haines Junction), making it a very remote destination. Driving ten minutes outside of these hub communities, call services and internet connection can be limited and more difficult to find.   

Mobility services are covered by Bell in the Yukon. You can see a coverage map from Bell Canada here, which maps 5G, 4G, LTE, HSPA and 3G network coverage in the territory. Search areas such as Whitehorse, Carcross, and Haines Junction in the search bar.   

Overland Yukon can also help you plan your itinerary around what areas have Wi-Fi connection, so that you can schedule your meetings and operations the days you’ll be passing through each hub community. Driving through areas without Wi-Fi, use these as opportunities to catch up on tasks that don’t require internet connection, and most importantly - take some time to relax. The Yukon is known for having some of the most beautiful highways in North America. Whether you’re driving along the Dempster Highway or approaching the Southern Lakes, you’ll want to be present for this.  

The biggest challenge with relaxing isn’t technology: it’s your own level of engagement or compulsion when it comes to work. Planning accordingly before you leave, turning off your work notifications, and limiting access to work-related accounts, will all help you adjust while you’re away. Though it may be challenging not to check your inbox every five seconds, remember why you’re taking a vacation in the first place. As you travel, you will have the opportunity to relax and step out of your comfort zone, as well as see, taste, and try new things. Paddling the Yukon River, exploring Canada's northern charm, and discovering Dawson City's lively history. Make sure that you’re present to enjoy it.