Can You Unplug?

All last week I was in Aruba on vacation – blackberry in one hand and laptop — yes, laptop — on the beach.  In one way, you can consider it being a perk of a freelancer.  I can pick up and leave anytime I want because my “boss” always lets me go on vacation.  On the other, I’m always working.  As a one woman show,  I don’t know what I’d do without my laptop – the thought alone gives me separation anxiety.

“The impulse to check messages frequently relates to a psychological principle called a variable reinforcement schedule,” says Brian Uzzi, professor of leadership at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management to CNN.com.

Most people aren’t as bad as me because when they’re on vacation, they can leave their work on their desks — but smart phones still make it hard to completely unplug from the office.  If the emails are handy, they’re going to be taken care of.

To fully appreciate and enjoy the benefits of vacation, experts say to try and leave your Blackberry behind or have two separate phones – one for business and one for personal use. Then, when it’s time for a getaway, you can leave your work phone at home.

Tell us, can you really unplug and leave the gadgets that keep you connected behind while on vacation?