Inspiring Workplaces: Give Me a Break!

Published: Wed, 07/05/17

Humor at Work

ISSUE 686 - July 5, 2017


			Give Me a Break!

	Hopefully you'll have the chance to take a well-deserved break this summer. Here are five ideas to help you manage your time off with a little less stress. 1. Don't schedule anything at work the day before you leave and either keep your first day back appointment-free or tell everyone you are returning to work a day later than you actually are - that way you have a free day on either end to get things done without feeling overwhelmed. 2. Add a "vacation alert" tagline to your e-mail and voice mail messages weeks before your break so clients and colleagues have ample notice of when you will be gone from the office. 3. Decide and communicate clearly what your rules of engagement are with your office. Are you going totally off the grid or will you be checking e-mails every three days? Some people find it less stressful to stay connected as long as there are certain boundaries in place, so you need to decide what's best for you. 4. Create a detailed to-do list and a clear plan of attack for the week you return so you reduce the potential for mental clutter to travel with you, because let's face it, you probably have enough baggage already! 5. Don't over-schedule your holidays and cram so much in that you need a vacation after your vacation! Block off some total down time to let your body and brain fully relax and slow down.

		Mike's Fun at Work Tip

One of my clients has an annual summer tradition of creating a very creative mini-golf course throughout one floor of their office building; every lunch hour different teams compete in mini-golf tournaments throughout the summer for wacky prizes.
		Deep Thought of the Week

When you begin to look like your passport photo, it’s time to go home!
		It's a Wacky World

It's a good business practice to be on the lookout for new opportunities to expand your services or products. A Shanghai-based insurance company has done just that by offering insurance coverage for quirky reasons, including a "watching football, drinking too much and doing something stupid" insurance plan for enthusiastic World Cup fans!

Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Speak
"Need to See Mom Special": Kelowna or Penticton, B.C.: October 26 or 27
Montreal: August 31 or September 5
Toronto: Sept. 7-12
Cleveland: Sept. 25
Montreal: Nov. 23 or 25
Ottawa: Dec. 11-13
New Zealand: Feb. 15 - 20, 2018

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