--- title: "Daily Buzz: Don’t Let Your Vacation Stress You Out" id: "44030" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-dont-let-your-vacation-stress-you-out" published_at: "2018-09-07T21:28:12+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:01:52+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/09/07/daily-buzz-dont-let-your-vacation-stress-you-out/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/09/07/daily-buzz-dont-let-your-vacation-stress-you-out.md" excerpt: "Taking a vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but working overtime to prepare for one is not. Here’s what to do to minimize stress before, during, and after your time off. Also: what the meeting business wants from speakers." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "ACA" - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "event planning" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Don’t Let Your Vacation Stress You Out It’s time to take a vacation, but with so much on your plate at work, just the thought of getting away is stressful. The work that needs to happen before you leave—not to mention the pile that will be waiting for you when you get back—is often more anxiety-inducing than not going at all. That may partly explain why [more than half of Americans (opens in a new tab)](https://projecttimeoff.com/reports/state-of-american-vacation-2018/) (52 percent) leave vacation time unused. But vacations are necessary for your mental health. To minimize stress or loss in productivity, [Harvard Business Review recommends doing the following before, during, and after your time away (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2018/09/how-to-minimize-stress-before-during-and-after-your-vacation) : **Before:** Prioritize what needs to get done and when, and establish a handoff system to carry out any tasks that come up while you’re on vacation. **During:** If you’re goal-oriented at work, try applying the same thought process to your vacation—then actually unplug and immerse yourself in the new experience. **After:** Make a plan and reset your priorities. You won’t be able to do everything at once, and that’s OK. Remember to take a break if you’re feeling overwhelmed. ### What Do Meeting Planners Want From Speakers? > Meeting Planner turned Speaker, Shawna Suckow, talks about her new book (co-author with 3 other experienced planners) “Frankly Speaking… Insider Advice Most Planners Won’t Share With Speakers”. [https://t.co/dC0L8YlZcS (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/dC0L8YlZcS) > [#eventprofs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/eventprofs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#nsa18 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/nsa18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Making Waves at C-Level Podcast (@CoolPodcast) [September 6, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/CoolPodcast/status/1037656138689519616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **As a meeting planner,** you want the best speakers possible at your events to keep attendees engaged. And as a speaker, you want to be able to deliver. On the [latest episode of the Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do podcast (opens in a new tab)](https://thomsinger.com/uncategorized/frankly-speaking-with-shawna-suckow/) , Shawna Suckow, co-author of *Frankly Speaking… Insider Advice (Most) Meeting Planners Won’t Share With Speakers*, talks about what she learned about the meetings business during her 20-year career as a meeting planner before she became a public speaker. ### Other Links of Note **You don’t want members to unsubscribe from emails,** but making unsubscribing a hassle reflects badly on your association. Nonprofit Marketing Guide offers [best practices for how to set up your unsubscribe page (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2018/09/06/best-practices-email-unsubscribe-page/) . **Does your conference setup need an update?** *BizBash* gives [tips on how to reimagine traditional meeting spaces (opens in a new tab)](https://www.bizbash.com/reimagine-the-seminar-space/new-york/story/36130#.W5KCGS2ZNAY) . **A broad membership engagement idea**might not work at all of your chapters. Instead, find a program that is working at one chapter, and trickle it into the rest, [from Billhighway (opens in a new tab)](https://www.billhighway.co/article/chapter-member-engagement-components-as-innovation-incubators-part-1) . (Ekaterina79/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#ACA](https://associationsnow.com/tag/aca/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F09%2F07%2Fdaily-buzz-dont-let-your-vacation-stress-you-out%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !