Are you one of those individuals who can never quite seem to leave the workload behind when you go on vacation?

If that sounds like you, you are unfortunately one of many millions of people who can’t separate work and taking some time to relax.

Along with the mental wear and tear that such actions can have on your body, there is of course the physical punishment you can take as a result.

With that being the case, what should you be doing in order to get away from it all for a period of time, allowing you to truly get some deserved R&R?

Preparation and Using the Right Resources

Like many other things in life, getting your work done before you hit the beaches, golf courses, mountains, or wherever your vacation takes you is key.

For instance, unless you are just going to throw a few things in your vehicle and get out of town for the weekend, you will need to prepare for where you are going.

Among the things to look at:

• Where are you going?
• What mode of transportation will you use to get there?
• How long will you be gone?
• Approximately what will the trip cost you?

Those (and other things) are all important in terms of leaving you with less stress and more enjoyment when all is said and done.

Whether you are thinking about hitting multiple states across the U.S., jetting off to the Far East, touring South America, or taking in as much of Europe as possible, take your preparation planning time seriously.

For starters, use the Internet to look for savings on adventures in Europe, Ecuador travel packages, group tours of Australia and much more. In doing so, you can get your trip planning done faster, leaving you enough time to get your real work out of the way.

Secondly, doing your trip planning (at least a sizable portion of it) on the Internet during work breaks gives you that vacation to look forward to, making you even more motivated to finish your work before you pack your bags and head out.

Bags Packed and Time to Relax

Once your trip is planned and everything is in place, the time has come to put thoughts of work behind you for however long you will be away.

As an example, are you someone who always has that laptop and/or mobile device by your side when you are supposed to be enjoying time away from the office? If so, there are both mental and physical effects that can become troubling.

On the mental side, the possibilities of burnout become very real, especially if you are either running your own business or are responsible for more than your fair share of work in the office.

As for the physical impact, thinking about work too much while vacationing can lead to fatigue, bad eating habits, lack of exercise and more.

Use these tips before you head out on vacation:

• Work done in advance – Get as much of your necessary work done in advance, thereby leaving you with little or nothing to worry about while away.
• Seek help from others – If you run your own business with employees, ask them to pick up some of the slack for you while you are gone. One of the great things in working with others is pitching in and helping each other when one is out for a period of time.
• Alert others of your plans – In the event you are a one-person show, alert clients far enough in advance that you will be away for vacation. This allows them to reschedule and/or plan out in advance if they need you.

By making sure your deserved vacation runs as smoothly as possible, leave the office behind when you go on a personal trip.

Not only will you have memories of a lifetime, but you will come back to work more relaxed and recharged.

As an employee (for someone else or yourself), how do you leave work behind when you go on a vacation?