For the last 17 years, Jaclyn Sienna India has planned vacations for America’s Wall Street titans, tech VIPs and Hollywood tycoons with high standards and endless resources.
She’s the founder of a Sienna Charles, a members-only travel agency that caters to wealthy clients who take million-dollar trips around the world.
Despite their busy schedules, India says even the most powerful CEOs with high-pressure responsibilities leverage a few habits to maximize their time out of office.
Here are their three strategies for actually unplugging on vacation — and workers at every level of a business can use them.
1. They delegate
Executives reach the top of the corporate ladder in part because of their ability to hire super-star colleagues and entrust them with important work.
This key ability to delegate also helps them when they’re out of office, India tells CNBC Make It.
Staffers at any experience level can benefit from learning how to delegate.
As you prepare for your vacation time, have a conversation with your manager about what needs to be completed before you’re out, what can be delegated to other colleagues while you’re away, and what can wait until you return.
Working through PTO coverage plans can even contribute to a positive team dynamic when people take turns covering knowing it’ll pay off when they get a break, George Anders, LinkedIn’s senior editor at large, previously told CNBC Make It.
2. They recognize the benefits of disconnecting from work and social media
Many workers feel pressure to stay connected during vacations, or don’t request PTO at all, because they’re worried about their job security or that they’ll be seen as a slacker.
A majority of Americans say they work while on PTO, and roughly 3 in 10 say they feel guilty for not doing so while out of office.
But taking breaks from work can have big physical and mental health benefits, and it’s crucial for boosting creativity and productivity when you do return to the workplace.
Top bosses within India’s clientele “really understand that they do need to turn their brain off and and they value that,” she says.
India also encourages travelers to disconnect from their phones and social media.
When it comes to Instagramming your vacation, she says, “a lot of people are taking pictures for other people, but they’re not capturing the place for themselves. They need to put their phone down, and they need to really take in where they are and really just enjoy it and be present.”
“If you’re not present,” she adds, “and you’re spending your whole trip taking pictures of Instagram for other people, when you get back home, you need another vacation because you didn’t really feel like you were present.”
3. They stick to their healthy routines
Finally, India says it can be helpful to stick to your typical healthy habits.
Think: “How do you take the things that make you successful [and are] a daily part of your life” with you while traveling.
Prioritize getting enough sleep each night, staying active, eating well and not indulging too much on vacation, she says: “Bring your routine with you.”
She speaks from experience as someone who travels up to 300 days each year. “When I go to those hotels, because people know I work in hospitality, they want to give me a cake and champagne in my room,” India says. “Well, I don’t eat that stuff in my normal daily life, right?”
Instead, “I need to sleep well. I need to eat well, and I need to rest.”
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