Britni Zahodnick’s Post

Before leaving for my honeymoon last year, I shared that - no matter how excited I am for an upcoming holiday - I typically get extremely stressed and overwhelmed before taking vacation. I crowdsourced your tips for making the lead up to taking time off more exciting & less stressful. Here's what you shared: - Block a day when you return to just catch up on emails before you have to hop back into meetings. It's easier to dive back into the swing of things and re-enter conversations knowing what you've missed. - Remember that work never ends, and will be there when you return, regardless of how much progress you make beforehand. Section your to-do lists to “must be done before” & “can wait til after”. -Your holiday is YOUR time. You shouldn't feel the need to "make-up" the hours taken off by working extra in advance / after to get the same output done you would during a time without PTO. - Don't underestimate others' willingness to help out! Be really good at delegating and giving context to your delegates early enough on that you don’t have to sweat it at the last minute. Just don't forget to return the favor when your teammates take leave. - When going on a longer leave, set your OOO to say you're on holiday and all emails will be deleted to minimize overwhelm upon return. The message should tell the sender to email again on X day after you're back in case it's important. Today marks one week out from what will be my longest (and furthest) vacation ever, taking 9 consecutive days of PTO for a 2 week trip to Australia 🇦🇺🦘 While not all of these tips were right for me; I added some to my toolbox this time around and am happy to say that I am currently far less stressed going into this vacation than I have been in the past! (And any level of improvement is a big win in my book.) I hope some of these suggestions might also help someone else who finds it mentally challenging to take time off! What other PTO tips/tricks do ya'll have to add to this list??

PTO hack for 50 DAYS OFF in 2024. The plan below optimizes 15 vacation days and 4 personal days for the maximum number of days off in a row for the USA holiday calendar. It features 18 days off exclusively during summer months June-Sept. Remember to take personal days off before vacation days. And take them early. Why? Often, if you were to leave a company before the end of the year, you can only be paid for unused vacation days, not personal days. Don't forget to take your birthday off and do something fabulous to celebrate life! Hope this helps you obtain #WorkLifeBalance in 2024! 😊 #PTOhack #Timeoff

This week, we enter prime PTO season. Here are 3 ways to embrace PTO & get the most out of vacation: -- 1) Turn off email & chat notifications on your phone If you can, turn off your work email and notifications on your phone. That way YOU get to decide if you want to look a work emails/chats, instead of someone else deciding for you. BONUS: I know some people use vacation as a social media detox, or limit social media to only when they're in their hotel room so they can be fully present for the experiences. — 2) Continue your morning routine Vacation usually involves different workout, eating, drinking, socializing, and sleep habits, leaving us feeling a little off. If there was any time to do a morning routine, it really is on vacation! Plan an "anchor activity" like meditation or journaling in the morning so you have 1-5 minutes to yourself. This will recharge your social battery and keep you feeling like yourself. — 3) Take an extra day off when coming back from vacation I have not done this before, but want to try it if I have enough PTO! I know some people who take an extra day off to catch up on work email, get personal things done (like groceries), & get organized after coming back from vacation. May allow you enjoy the entirety of the vacation and calm those extreme Sunday Scaries when coming back.

A few weeks back I saw someone post that in 2024 we needed to get away from "Take your PTO" posts because people did not have the money to take big fancy vacations in this economy. I disagree. 🚫 Taking your PTO does not = taking a big fancy vacation. ✔ Taking your PTO does = practicing self-care. So, I am going to continue to remind you to take your PTO. Life is hard enough. It's even harder when you are running on empty. 🏡 Take it and stay home. 📕 Take it and finally read that book you have been wanting to. 🌲 Take it and explore the outdoors local to your area. 🏚 Take it and spring clean your house (purging and cleaning is self-care for this girl). 📺 Take it and binge watch the latest crime series on Netflix. 🌅 Take it and take a drive to the coast and watch the sunset. 😃 Take it and volunteer for an organization that you are passionate about. Take 1 day. Take a week...... Just TAKE IT and fill your cup. There are 328 days left in 2024- Don't forget to take that PTO friends. 📸: Filling my cup and chasing sunsets this past weekend ❤️

Did you not use your PTO until the end of the year? Are you interested in maximizing your PTO around public US holidays for 2024? Check out this article!

Maximize your vacation days like a pro! ➡️ 4th Of July Take off July 3, 5 and 8 Get 6 days off with only 3 PTO days used ➡️ Labor Day Weekend Take off Aug 30 and Sept 3 Get 5 days off with only 2 PTO days used ➡️ Thanksgiving Take off Nov 25, 27 and 29 Get 9 days off with only 4 PTO days used ➡️ Christmas Break Take off Dec 23, 24, 26 and 27 Get 9 days off with only 4 PTO days used Now let's make sure the getaway you take is worth using those PTO days! For tailored itineraries, personalized resort and hotel recommendations, and having someone else to book it all for you — Don’t hesitate to send me a DM or email to explore your options. #VacationPlans #VacationPlans #VacationIdeas #PTOgoals #LongWeekendPlanner #VacationHacks #MaximizeYourTimeOff #HolidayGetaways

Upcoming PTO: Friday, December 22 - returning Wednesday, December 27! 🎅🎄 Merry Christmas!! -- Ready for a vacation but stressing about getting everything done? 🙋 Here are 6 tips to prepare for your out-of-office, so you can unwind without worrying about work piling up. 💡

DO WE LIE ON OUR SICK LEAVES? Many employers do not require any medical certificate if the sick leave is only 1-2 days. Consequently, many employees go on “sick” leave during long weekends, instead of using their vacation leaves. The problem is, sick leaves are intended to be used when you’re not feeling well. It’s when you need a day to see a doctor and heal yourself. It is NOT meant for you to go to that reunion or that beach with your family. Don’t do this, guys. Be professional. When an employer finds out that you’re using your sick leaves when you’re not really sick, we think that your lack of integrity is showing, and that you’re timing your sick leaves on long weekends to go on vacation with your family. Good HR people can instinctively feel this, and once we confirm you truly ain’t sick, it pisses us off because you did not have to lie to go on vacation. That’s what vacation leaves are for, diba? Which is why when you are dishonest, we will follow due process and discipline you. Swerte na ang written warning. Some get suspension. Sa amin, we terminate… because we don’t tolerate anyone lying. Just be honest. Pwede naman. So I know this is a joke but serioso din to —- Take sick leaves when you’re sick and vacation leave for everything. They are benefits you’re entitled to if your company provides them. Don’t lie just to take advantage of a long vacation. Happy week ahead! ❤️

Had a vacation Top 5 takeaways 1. Making TikToks is fun and silly when there are no goals to care about 2. To build on point 1, always find a way to be silly and fun when you are on vacation 3. Be the master of your PTO, don’t use it like an ever deflating life raft - let work surprise you when it comes time to return, no need to constantly check in - have faith in yourself that you can handle whatever’s coming 4. Don’t let a vacay from work get confused with taking a break from working out - stay healthy or you will lose your vacation time to a bad back or neck or worse, illness 5. Spend time with those you love, no matter how that manifests - vacation should be a time for gratitude