I just returned from vacation. Before I left, several people told me to turn off my BlackBerry. Maj. David Faggard, U.S. Air Force, who was on a PRSA-NCC Twitter panel I recently moderated, said his time in Afghanistan allowed him to “turn-off” the social media noise. He recommended we all do it from time to time. Can you do it?
This CNN article suggests it is “anxiety” that keeps most of us from unplugging completely on vacation. I’ll admit I, just like “tech-loving kids and parents,” could not do it. I knew there would be emails sent only to me which I would then need to forward to others. I’m also a news junkie, and Twitter is one of my best news feeds.
But, I did try to limit my time on the “crackberry” and computer to a few minutes a day. Peter Bregman’s post The Mostly Unplugged Vacation for the Harvard Business Review shares many of my same feelings and strategies. His suggestion for those who can’t unplug completely: “Choose a specified time — and timeframe — each evening… Scheduling time sets clear expectations — for you, for the other people on your vacation, and for the people reaching you.”
Social media doesn’t have to be for work, so I decided to use Foursquare and Facebook to share my vacation with my friends. Since I was headed to see family and friends in North Dakota, I knew the locations would be quite different from the usual tourist spots others would be visiting. I really enjoyed the comments I received, especially after visiting the world’s largest Holstein Cow in New Salem, ND. (However, I was surprised no one responded, when I became the “mayor” of Wood Lake, ND.) And, many people shared my pain as I was delayed, re-routed, and delayed again in my attempt to fly home.
The key to enjoying your vacation seems to be setting limits on your online interaction. Here are a few good posts on ways to manage your time:
- Five Reasons to Unplug Your Vacation by Annie Scott
- How to Manage Social Media (And Still Have a Life) by Caitie Hawley
- Tips for Unplugging While on Vacation by Michael Giuffrida
Are you unplugging on your vacation? What tips do you have for the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas readers?
