• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
Work

The Best Thing You Can Do to Relax During Your Holiday Break, According to Science

By
Jamie Ducharme
Jamie Ducharme
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jamie Ducharme
Jamie Ducharme
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 18, 2017, 8:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

As the holidays approach, so too does long-awaited time off from work. All holiday breaks, however, are not made equal. How can you use yours to bust stress and come back feeling refreshed and better than ever?

It’s as simple as cutting the cord, experts say.

“There’s a lot of medical evidence to suggest that we live in a hyper-elevated state of arousal and activated stress hormones due to being so accessible and ever-vigilant for electronic input,” Dr. David Greenfield, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the founder of Connecticut’s Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, told Fortune. “I don’t think that we’re designed to be in that high, readily accessible state of arousal all the time.”

Digital detoxes, Greenfield says, can help reduce these stress levels and encourage your brain and body to unwind, even if they’re as short and simple as putting your phone away while you’re in bed or eating meals. The holidays, however, provide an opportunity for a slightly more in-depth detox.

Here’s how to unplug from stress and anxiety during your holiday vacation.

Detox in a way that works for you.

Dr. David Ballard, head of the American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence, agrees it’s healthy to unplug—but adds that everyone detoxes differently. Some people prefer to power down completely during their time off, while others feel less stressed if they allow themselves to chip away at work while out of the office. Neither is inherently better or worse, Ballard says, so long as you’re honest about your preferences and set reasonable boundaries.

“For some people, keeping up with things, as long as they set boundaries, helps them benefit even more from the time off, so they’re able to go back and not feel overwhelmed day one back from holidays,” he says.

Make a plan.

If you set vague goals—like “stay off email”—the experts agree you’ll be unlikely to stick to them. Instead, they recommend deciding exactly how often you want to be on your phone or computer, how long you’ll let yourself stay online, and when you absolutely must sign off like during family meals or on the day of a holiday. If you need help sticking to the plan, Ballard suggests enlisting a friend or family member to keep you accountable.

Be social, IRL.

Tearing yourself away from screens can enhance the feelings of togetherness that the holidays are all about, says Heather Senior Monroe, director of program development at Newport Academy, a national adolescent and family rehab center that treats internet addiction.

“As humans, we’re hard-wired for relationships. Authentic connections are usually done face-to-face by interacting with each other,” Monroe says. “What technology does is takes us away from those authentic connections and puts us in our own isolated world, which can then make us feel more isolated and alone in a season that’s supposed to make us feel more together and tight-knit.”

Participate in activities that don’t involve a screen.

We often use technology as a crutch, or as a way to fill time we’d otherwise devote to hobbies, leisure activities or self-care. To make the most of your holiday break, Ballard suggests returning to those activities.

“You need times when you’re engaging in non-work activities that are interesting to you and stimulating and challenging,” he says.

Delete your apps (at least for now).

If you find yourself sliding back into your tech-addicted ways, Monroe suggests a simple fix: deleting your apps.

“It takes a couple more steps in between checking it,” Monroe says, during which time you might realize what you’re doing and hold off. “All your information is going to be saved, it’s just you need to re-log-on.”

Gain some perspective.

“Smartphones have been around, in their current form, for about 10 years. Humankind is 200,000 years old,” Greenfield says. “Is it possible that we’ve distorted how important this technology is to our lives?”

Keep in mind that few things are truly time-sensitive, Greenfield says. The world won’t end if you don’t check your email before your holiday break ends—or, at the very least, before your next pre-scheduled tech check-in.

About the Author
By Jamie Ducharme
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Careers

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Careers

Financial advisor presents a graph to her client.
Career HubEducation
How to become a financial advisor: 4 steps to a life-long career
By Preston ForeJanuary 2, 2025
1 year ago
Group of business people look at charts and graphs.
Career HubEducation
How to become an actuary: 4 steps to earn six figures
By Preston ForeOctober 21, 2024
2 years ago
Woman analyzes a chart with a laptop next to her.
Career HubEducation
How to become a CPA
By Preston ForeSeptember 27, 2024
2 years ago
Woman explains a concept to a woman sitting next to her.
Career HubEducation
How to become an accountant
By Preston ForeSeptember 20, 2024
2 years ago
Group of varied professionals stand looking toward the camera.
Career HubEducation
These are the nation’s fastest growing jobs—and many pay $100k
By Preston ForeSeptember 13, 2024
2 years ago
Nurse pulls cash out of the front pocket of their scrubs.
Career HubEducation
A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type
By Preston ForeAugust 7, 2024
2 years ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
23 hours ago
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
Startups & Venture
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
By Eva RoytburgJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Economy
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 14, 2026
2 days ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
19 hours ago
Trump gets the peace deal he wants and rages against Israel’s Netanyahu: ‘He has no f—ing judgement. I let him know that'
Economy
Trump gets the peace deal he wants and rages against Israel’s Netanyahu: ‘He has no f—ing judgement. I let him know that'
By Jim EdwardsJune 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.