Summer’s in full swing, and I’m sure many of you are preoccupied with thoughts of an upcoming vacation…or feeling like you can’t possibly take one with the amount of work on your plate.

In our ‘hustle culture’ epidemic, vacations carry a lot of baggage. There’s excitement, yes, but also the guilt of leaving your team to cover your tasks. The panicked prep and pre-work before you set your OOO. The dread of all the emails that’ll be waiting when you return. The feeling that you just can’t leave.

For far too many of us, vacations can seem like more effort than they’re worth.

But an endless grind doesn’t pave the road to success. It’s a one-way ticket to burnout, exhaustion, and dried-up creativity.

As I wrote in Teams That Meet The Moment, one of the biggest lies companies believe is that working harder = better results. If you want to show up as your best, most innovative, most productive self, you need to make time for rest.

Now, I’m not advocating that you leave your team high and dry while you lounge on a beach with champagne. Instead, there are ways to work more effectively so that, when it’s time to unplug, you can do so without any stress or worry.

These two tips, inspired by the book, will help you and your team take those well-earned summer breaks…without breaking any ongoing work in the process.

1. Work in Public in the month leading up to your vacation

One of the worst feelings before taking time off is the last-minute scramble to make sure all the work you could possibly need to do over the next two weeks is done in advance. Not only is it exhausting, but it rarely anticipates real needs.

Instead, try Working in Public leading up to your vacation. Share your messy first drafts in a place that everyone can access. Be vocal about what’s done, what’s not, and where you welcome input.

Other team members will be able to jump in and continue your work while you’re away, AND you can avoid the night-before chaos or any pings asking “so where was this thing…?”

2. Empower others to make decisions with Even Overs

The work doesn’t stop when one person is out. Decisions still need to be made. And if you’re someone who frequently deals with approvals, it can feel like you’re never able to fully sign off.

This is where Even Overs are especially useful. If you develop your priorities in advance—Progress Even Over Perfection, Reach Even Over Depth, Candor Even Over Comfort—your team will feel equipped to make decisions without you, and you can have peace of mind that lets you fully silence notifications.

If you’ve been daydreaming about vacation time, take this email as your sign. Try out these tips. Put in the request. Turn on your OOO. You’ll return with renewed energy, inspiration, creativity, and maybe even a bit of a tan.

Karina Mangu-Ward

Partner, August Public