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Relax! It's a holiday

Why do most of us work when we go on a holiday? After all, work and leisure are meant to be two different things

IT'S FINE TO FORGET THE ROUTINE Don't work when holidaying

Guess it's a culture thing. Most of us simply can't relax even when we are on a holiday. Unwinding, chilling out and switching off are terms that don't exist in our vocabulary. Though work schedules are getting frenetic by the day, to most of us, a holiday still means "rest" ordered by the doctor.

Work is worship, fine. But don't we need to recharge our batteries? Simply lounge in a far away resort or go fishing in a placid lake? We have mastered the art of working hard, but not the art of playing harder!

Here's a sample. Vashi Lakhani, city-based garment retailer, says, "Whenever I go on a holiday I get restless. I have to make calls on the mobile and touch base with my office every now and then. I take a holiday once in ten years!"

Connected 24x7

Imagine! No holiday in ten years! Could this permanent "work mode" syndrome be attributed to advances in technology? (Thanks to the mobile and the Net, we are connected 24x7.) Or is it plain individual trait? Some people are born workaholics and define themselves only by their work, work and more work. Work to them equals success. The call of duty is so strong that relaxing becomes too much of an effort.

Says Dr. C. S.Vijayashankar, senior consultant and cardio-thoracic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, "I never think of going on a holiday — for the sake of a holiday. I wasn't raised that way. However, if I want to take off, I go on a study trip-cum-holiday. It's usually to a place where I can get to interact with experts through the day and relax in the evenings."

According to P. Sridhar, Head, Portfolio Management Service, Cholamandalam Securities, "Going on a holiday is a subjective thing. I was with my family after a long time recently and really enjoyed myself. It goes without saying that I can't be totally cut off from the stock market even when I'm away on a holiday. Though I don't keep tabs on an hourly basis, I get updates at the close of the day. One has a responsibility towards one's customers, you see. We even resort to remote-control crisis management."

Says Dr. Vijayashankar, "If one of my patients gets sick before I take off on a holiday, I will cancel the trip. Usually, if I am going on a vacation, I stop operating on patients two days in advance."

Taking a long break is almost impossible for many professionals and executives. "I can't take off for ten days at a stretch. The field is too competitive. If I do, I'll probably be out of work when I get back," muses a professional.

So how does one manage to have it all — work, holiday and enough relaxation — after all, doing nothing once in a while or a change of scene gives us time to reflect and take stock of our lives and energise those frayed nerves. "Balance" is the keyword. Learn to balance work and leisure — else when the going gets tough, it's tough to get going!

Here's how...

While on a holiday, train your thoughts towards activities other than work. Do it consciously.

Take short breaks for a day or two if you can't afford long holidays.

Work hard before your holiday and treat your holiday as a reward.

Plan your work so that you can be away for the specified period.

Groom a second-in-command person who can hold fort in your absence.

Finally, remember you owe it to yourself once in a while to leave your cares behind and watch the world go by.

SUDHA UMASHANKER

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