If You Say You're Out of Office, Be Out of Office
3 tips for setting an out-of-office (and boundaries) in order to enjoy your time away
Welcome! I’m Dr. Jillian, a physician leader, mom, and coach who is on a mission to help overwhelmed, ambitious women live less stressed, more satisfying lives. If the full post doesn’t show up in your e-mail, come over to the webpage or Substack App to see the whole thing. Subscribe here to get future posts straight to your inbox:
Hello there to all of the new readers! I’m glad you’re joining us here.
This week, I’m keeping the post short due to the upcoming holidays in the US and Canada next week. If you’re like me, you’ll be taking some much-needed time away.
Even if you’re not heading off for a break, today’s reminder still applies.
If you’re taking time away from work, you may be turning on your out of office message. And, if you’re anything like most people I know, your message might say something like, “I am out of the office with limited access to e-mail…” or something similar.
But… many of you won’t really have limited access.
Instead, you’ll be checking your e-mail on your phone or your computer while also trying to be present for what is happening on your time away. Or you’re opening your laptop during the early morning or late-night hours and trying to keep up with everything.
If this is you, I understand.
I used to be you.
But I now know that this kind of behavior does not result in the rest and recovery that I need. And it isn’t doing you any favors either.
More often than not, this language is code for “I’m not really able to disconnect on my vacation because of [fill in the blank toxic work culture or boundary issue]”.
It also means that, because there is no clear boundary, other people continue to ask these people to do things while they are away. Then these people spend time working on vacation, and they come back to work just as tired (or more) than before.
So, instead of writing a message like the one above or (worse) not putting on an out-of-office at all, use these 3 tips to set a clear boundary when you are out of office:
Say how long you’ll be gone
Say when you’ll respond (after you’re back)
Say who they can contact while you’re out
Here’s what I’m doing:
Hello,
Thank you for your e-mail. I am currently out of office until [date] and will not be replying to emails until I return.
If you have an urgent wellness need, please contact [person and contact information]
You get the point. It doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does need to be clear.
You deserve real time off.
But no one will create the boundary for you. It’s up to you to take control of your own life. No one will care more about your wellbeing than you do.
Yes, boundary backlash may come when you start, but I promise you that it’s worth it.
If you’re look for more tips about how to really enjoy your vacation, this post from
is for you.
What I need is a text OOO function! I just got back from vacation where I left a very clear away message, only to have people start texting me which feels even more intrusive to me.
Maybe I need to specifically say “don’t text me when you receive this” ha.
Oh it's like you knew what I needed to hear after having worked almost half my weekend 🫣🫣 it's not a habit I want to develop but lately it's been so busy I've been taking work home, so a good reminder for me not to do this too often!!