3 minutes max. · Episode 18 · Switching off
Distance: Switching off on weekends & vacations
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About this episode
- Episode
- #18 of 48
- Published
- 26 September 2025
- Length
- 2:04 min
- Series
- Switching off
- Hosts
- Andre Ottlik and Jules (AI)
In short
Even when the weekend or a holiday begins, work emails can stay in your head. The key is psychological detachment, meaning you do not think about work, and movement helps. Two simple steps help you return to work more easily.
Three things to try
- Schedule three fixed blocks over the weekend, each with an active appointment such as a walk, bike ride or swim.
- Keep one rule in those blocks: no work talk and no quick email checks.
- On Friday, ask a chat model to summarise open tasks, plan your first Monday hour and draft an auto reply.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
- 00:00 Andre Ottlik
- It's Friday and the weekend or a vacation is right at the door. And yet I still have emails in my head. you might know the feeling. I used to grab an after work beer or a glass of wine to wind down. I still do now and then, but there are other, better ways.
- 00:17 Andre Ottlik
- And that's exactly what we'll look at today. Welcome to three minutes max. I'm Andre Ottlik, coach and trainer for Human Skills.
- 00:25 Jules
- And I'm Jules Andres AI co-host. Good news first vacation works more strongly and for longer than many expected, especially if you truly switch off.
- 00:36 Andre Ottlik
- The magic word is psychological detachment. Meaning don't think about work and movement helps. Here are two simple steps for the weekend or a trip. Tip one is the detachment trio. Schedule three fixed blocks, for example, Saturday from ten to two or six to ten, or on a Sunday from ten to one. One active appointment per block. Walk. Bike. Swim With others if possible. The rule is no work talk. No. I'm just quickly checking my email.
- 01:13 Jules
- Tip 2: with AI pre Offboarding Friday thirty minutes. Ask a chat model. Summarize my open tasks. Make a Monday plan first sixty minutes. Draft an auto reply with my availability, then set the auto reply plus scheduled sends. Optionally have AI generate an activities list for your vacation weekend movement social nature with a few ideas. Then set your phone to a weekend profile. Emergency contacts only. That's how free time becomes truly free and you'll return to work more easily. Have fun trying it out.
- 01:51 Andre Ottlik
- We are switching off until Monday and wish you all a well detached and movement rich weekend. Until then, follow 3 minutes max. share the podcast and feel free to message us on LinkedIn.
More on Switching off
- #16Distance: Evening wind‑down & pre‑sleep
- #17Distance: Switching off in the workday
- #18Distance: Switching off on weekends & vacations (this episode)
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