Hello the 17H10 club !

Welcome to this new newsletter format, in which we will be analyzing various topics dealing with women's entrepreneurship, the world of work, daily life, and of course looks in suits. ❤️

For this July article, we decided to address disconnection and mental load on vacation.

Indeed, when we asked Amélie and Caroline, co-founders of 17H10, if their summer vacations had gone well, we realized that a large part of their supposed "off" time had been spent in online meetings, taking urgent calls, and answering emails that couldn't wait. With young children on top of that, the vacations were not a relaxing time! 

Whether you're a business owner like Amélie and Caroline, an employee or a freelancer, a lot of unexpected things slip into your agenda every day. It is therefore crucial to learn how to prioritize and delegate in order not to be constantly overwhelmed. However, it is sometimes difficult to let go.

As women, we also tend to take on more of a mental load, and want things done right, our way.

🤷🏼♀️: "What would happen if I took a week off? What if I got sick? Would my employees and collaborators know how to continue to keep the business growing and running smoothly during my absence?"

When we are part of a company, we sometimes continue to receive emails and calls even during our time off. Sometimes we wait for months for our vacation, then when the time comes, we still have the reflex to want to keep up with what's going on, and we can't really detach ourselves from work.

👩🏽💻: "Maybe I'll be seen better if I respond quickly to messages, maybe continuing to complete a few urgent files will prove my motivation."

A 2019 study* actually showed that 67% of French people (and 73% of women!) would continue to work while on vacation by staying connected to their smartphone and laptop.

However, as you already know, taking a (real) break from work is good for our brains, our productivity and our creativity in the long run. In fact, as mentioned in the episode "What does it feel like to pause your brain?" of Louie Media's "Emotions" podcast, our brains need to detach from work, noise and screens in order to regenerate effectively.

"If I were a doctor, I would prescribe a vacation to all patients who consider their work important. "Bertrand Russell

Although these tips may seem obvious, they are often not applied in reality, leading to an overflow of solicitations!

We have compiled a checklist to follow gradually and to keep in mind before and during your vacation. 

Points to keep in mind 📝:

• This time off will allow you to take stock and naturally step back from the situation, without being constantly in the rush of the present moment. You will also realize what is not going well in the organization, if there are any processes to be improved or automated.
• The time you spend there will not come back, whether it is to rest deeply (not on the surface like when you scroll through the networks after work), to spend quality time with your family, or to explore new destinations. So it's crucial to make the most of it, without distraction!
• Everything doesn't have to fall apart while we're away, as long as we prepare the delegation of tasks well.

To be done in advance of his departure 📆:

• Schedule vacations at convenient times if applicable, such as at the same time as the clients who require the most attention, or when no one else critical to the business is on vacation.
• Make it a point to complete as many tasks and files as possible a few weeks before leaving.
• Delegate all critical tasks to the right people, build them a worklist with precise processes, as well as a FAQ containing all the answers to possible questions they might have (to be discussed with them if possible in advance in order to avoid questions during your vacations).
• Think about scheduling an automatic e-mail message so that people who try to contact you do not panic after 24 hours without a reply from you! Or delegate the management of your mailbox if possible.
• Finally, don't forget to notify everyone of your departure so that you don't have any surprises, yes, even the employees you don't see or contact much.

To be done during the vacations 🌊:

• Disconnect the mail and messaging apps from your phone so as not to be tempted to answer/check your notifications (yes, you can delete them, you'll download them again later). Do not take your work computer with you!
• Take a break from habits and routines: signal to your body that you can eat at different times, go to bed later and get up later... to get out of the usual rhythm embedded in our system. Getting up at 1pm and eating at 10pm? It's good for disconnection.
• If it's a problem of hyperactivity and you're just not used to getting out of anything without stressing, then why not book your schedule with activities that give you fun and relaxation while staying busy, like sports, art, or classes. This is the perfect time to pick up those online yoga classes or painting workshops you started a few years ago.
• Finally, leave room for improvisation and learn to delegate to your partner, friends or children during the vacations, in order to avoid another type of organizational mental load that will prevent us from detaching from stress.

"Is there a more profound vacation than taking time off from yourself?" Amélie Nothomb

We hope that reminding you of these few points will help you get rid of your mental load on your next vacation and enjoy a well-deserved rest. 

Feel free to contact us on Instagram for feedback on our articles, or recommendations for topics to cover 🥰.

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* "Methodology: Survey conducted between June 26 and July 4, 2019 among 4.5 million candidates and more than 135,000 recruiters on Qapa.fr (merchants, craftsmen, VSEs, SMEs, large companies). Among these respondents, 52% are non-executives and 48% are executives. Profiles: 51% women and 49% men. The figures and statistics represent an overview of the employment situation in France. All the information put forward by the candidates is declarative" (https://www.studyrama.com/pro/efficacite-professionnelle/efficacites-professionnelles/gerer-son-stress/67-des-francais-ne-decrochent-pas-de-leur-travail-pendant-les-vacances-22062.html)