Ten tips to make sure you next vacation is not an epic fail when you return to work.

Vacations are supposed to provide relaxation, replenish your energy, and break free from job stresses. But if you are like me, you might keep losing those benefits by cramming in extra work before leaving, remaining “available” when you are out, or building up anxiety about the work that is building up. It is no wonder so many of us continue to fail at taking vacations.

I have compiled some of my top tips on making sure your next vacation is a success both while you are gone and when you return to work. And while I still overlook a few of these, they are all proven winners.

1. Plan ahead. Let you staff know in advance you have time off coming and how connected or not you will be. Confirm with your boss well in advance the major tasks to prioritize before you leave to limit all the extra time you would otherwise spend on less important work.
2. Block your calendar for the day before you leave and the first morning when you return. Taking the day off or at least blocking your calendar the day before you leave gives you the space to deal with those last-minute issues without stressing your departure. And keeping open your morning schedule on your first day back gives you time to deal with any emergent situations or simply catch up on the backlog.
3. Create social connections on the trip. Yes, even fiscal introverts can do this. Sign up for a group activity or set a goal to meet at least one new person a day. It is often the people we meet that make our trips the most memorable. Gabriel is still a legendary name in our family.
4. Go far from your work and home. Don’t create a scenario where you can easily return. Stay-cations might be a trend, but they are not always great at providing distance from your daily to do lists.
5. Go somewhere you will feel safe. Our current lives are already stressful enough so remove that vacation stress from your list.
6. Decide that you will focus on feeling more joyful, energized, or calm while you are out. Meditate or talk to your travel partners about this and hold each other accountable to retain a positive focus.
7. Create immersive experiences. Take walks through nature away from normal life distractions. Notice the vegetation, the rocks, the sunset. Focus on the sounds and mentally record them. Smell the fresh air. Swim in a river, lake, or ocean. Let your mind really soak in these new experiences.
8. When you return, delay reviewing your email and instead update your list of priorities. You might have new thoughts after your trip so give yourself the time to leverage your refreshed perspective.
9. Keep your trips best moments alive. It is so important to cement in your memories what stood out in your trip. Try looking at your pictures together and talk about the experiences you had. Create the space to relive those highlights. This is my most common “miss.”
10. Block time on your calendar for your next trip. Planning ahead will help you also plan your upcoming work year and provide a reminder to you and your staff about the importance of getting away and successfully recharging yourself.

BONUS CONTENT: Forgotten but still awesome Avocado Lime Pie recipe.

I’m sharing with you one of my family’s old favorite summer pie recipes that I had forgotten about. I came across it as I was moving recipes from one app to another. I hope you will enjoy this easy but fantastic dessert.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe and fresh avocados, quartered, peeled and seeded
• 1 cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light agave nectar
• 1 lime, seated
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Directions:

1. Place avocados in the bowl of a food processor with the yogurt, agave, lime zest and vanilla paste; pulse until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary and set aside.
2. Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to low boil and set aside.
3. Place the lime juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and let stand 1 minute. Then gently whisk in the hot coconut milk. Continue to whisk until the gelatin completely dissolves, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the avocado mixture until well combined.
5. Pour the mixture into any prepared pie crust of your choice (I recommend a graham cracker crust).
6. Slowly transfer to the refrigerator and chill, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream or any topping of your choice.