Vacation is one of those times of the year that we all look forward to: whether you are planning a tropical getaway or a local camping trip, vacation allows you to take time off from work and enjoy time on your own terms. However, with the advent of mobile technology we are constantly connected to our work – particularity if our work is highly digital in nature. I recently had the pleasure of going to Florida’s Gulf Coast for 10 days to soak in the sun and salt water since Kitchener-Waterloo has been experiencing a very mild summer so far.

Initially, there was no issues in staying disconnected – the beach and sun easily trumped a Sony Xperia mobile screen. The only thing the phone was useful for was the quality camera it comes with, as I was able to create plenty of HQ memories with it. After a couple of days I had the urge to connect online and at the very least check my emails, some new blog posts on digital marketing, etc. With free WiFi it was not a problem while at the condo – when I was at the beach the high roaming data charges were more than enough to discourage me from connecting.

So is it better to stay connect or disconnect while on vacation? Based on my recent experience I have found the following regarding vacation work:

1) Depends on the Vacation (and You)

There a number of different vacations people take: cruises, snow trips, country tours, cottages, staycations and many many more. Are you going with family? Alone? Friends? Significant other? All of these factors can affect your connectivity – I found it difficult to connect, not because I had no means of connecting, but because having the wonderful beach and scenery next to me. I was spending the time with my significant other and wanted to leave work behind. I did sneak in a couple of social media updates and blog reads before sleep, but other than that I was disconnected. I was able to let my clients know I will be away for that time and that work would be on hold until I come back (there was plenty of last minute finishes before the trip, trust me!) – perhaps not all small business owners have that luxury and need to check their emails/phones regularly. It depends on how you run, and how your business runs.

Of course this is not always an option; if you decide to reconnect with mother nature and camp in a provincial park there may not be any sort of connections outside of the people (and surrounding wildlife) there. In this case if you plan to stay connected, keep in mind what type of vacation you are planning – as it may not permit you to connect at all.

2) Type of Job or Business

Business development or sales professionals may want to be more connected since their work by nature demands that they stay in touch with clients, potential clients and their team as they are the communication bridge between clients and internal team.

Some small business owners or entrepreneurs do not have anyone to take over while they are on vacation and need to stay connected to their business 24/7. Unless they can make arrangements where work will resume after the vacation time – this again, depends on what type of business is in question.

Other businesses such as programmer development might be mentally demanding that vacations without any sort of work are welcome, and any sort of work does not come into question. These vacations are usually preferred as they allow for “recharging of batteries” and time away from work. Not necessarily because its not pleasant, but because it can be demanding and focusing on cocktails and seafood dinners helps alleviate some of that stress.

Think of the sort of vacation you need – to spend time with loved ones, catch some sun, get some sleep, etc. and plan your work-schedule accordingly. This will help keep your clients/managers up to date on your availability, and help you enjoy your vacation maximally.

3)  Purpose of Vacation

This is probably most important factor, continuing from the two previous points: what the point of your vacation is. Like myself, many people take vacation to take time off from work and enjoy time with friends, family and close ones. Personally, I prefer to stay disconnected (with little cheat times – checking out new posts for a couple of minutes, uploading a photo or two) while away as it gives me time to focus on the people I am with and the place I am at.

If you are looking to just catch up on some sleep, but would not mind spending the afternoon doing work – then you may find it better to bring a laptop or phone to wherever you are going. If you just enjoy work, and want to stay connected to everything that works too – this varies from person to person. Just make sure you figure out the type of vacation before you go on it, that way you can enjoy it fully. However that may be.