How to put your phone and laptop into vacation mode

Escape the work grind and truly unwind on your vacation! Many struggle to disconnect from work emails and tasks while on leave. Researchers suggest this stems from strong work identification and environmental triggers. The simple sight of work apps can instantly shift our brains from relaxation to work mode.

The ideal solution: leave work devices at home. However, technology's usefulness on vacation—for navigation, bookings, and communication—is undeniable. The answer lies in putting your devices into "vacation mode."

Minimize Work Presence on Your Devices

How often do you unintentionally open work apps due to their prominent placement? The solution: declutter your screens.

• Home Screen/Taskbar Cleanup: Remove work app shortcuts from your phone's home screen and your computer's taskbar or dock. On Windows, right-click and unpin; on macOS, right-click, go to Options, and uncheck "Keep in Dock"; on mobile, long-press and remove. Consider placing them in less-accessible folders.

• Log Out or Disable Notifications: Log out of work email, chat (Slack, Teams), and project management (Basecamp) accounts. This eliminates temptation. Alternatively, disable notifications for work apps in your device's settings. (iPhone: Settings > Notifications; Android: Settings > Notifications > App settings).

• Prevent Auto-Launch: Stop work apps from automatically starting with your computer. (Windows: Settings > Apps > Startup; macOS: System Settings > General > Login items).

• Browser or User Account Switch: Use a different browser (e.g., switch from Edge to Firefox) or create a separate Chrome profile/user account on your computer for vacation use. This keeps work bookmarks and extensions inactive. Creating a temporary user account on Windows (Settings > Accounts > Other Users) or macOS (System Settings > Users & Groups) provides a virtually clean slate for your vacation.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively minimize work distractions and maximize your relaxation during your well-deserved break.

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