Out of Office

No, I Haven’t Been Hacked – I’m Actually Putting on my Out-of-Office.

Running your own business means the out-of-office email often feels like a mythical creature, a unicorn or mermaid with admin privileges. I mean, if I don’t reply, who will? The HR Department (also me)? The PA (me again)? The Events Team (still me)?

But brace yourself because at the end of July, I’m flicking the OoO switch and heading off on a 5-day charity trek in Iceland with the fabulous team from CoppaFeel! That’s right – Queen of Behaviours is taking her crown to the mountains. In hiking boots, with a rucksack and tent pegs!!

Here’s why I’m finally doing it and why you should too (the OoO not the tent so much):

Rest to reset is Queen, not a guilty pleasure

Look, you wouldn’t leave your phone on 1% and expect it to keep going. Yet we do it to ourselves, daily. No wonder people end up snappy, sluggish or stress-scrolling LinkedIn at 1am.

They go form fully engaged, to quite quitting and even loudly quitting, lets not do that hey!

This trek will be cold, muddy and magical and I need it. For perspective. For pause and probably for a lot of deep breathing uphill.

Queen tip: Rest isn’t “time off” – it’s “fuel in”.

People are watching your behaviour – even when you’re not

You can tell your team to look after themselves until you’re blue in the face, but if you’re replying to emails from a Sun lounger in Sardinia … that’s the behaviour they’ll copy.

By genuinely switching off, I’m role-modelling boundaries, not burnout. Even the high D in me gets that now (although she took some convincing).

Real talk: You can’t lead effectively if you’re emotionally fried.

P.S Can highly recommend Sardinia, went last August, HOT and fabulous!

Your OOO should be a vibe

Now, I’m not sending a robotic “I’m currently out of the office” message. I’m crafting something that sounds like me – personality first, admin second. Something like:

Subject: Queen of Behaviours has temporarily abdicated
Message:
I’m currently swapping heels for hiking boots as I trek across Iceland for 5 days to raise money (and heart rates) for CoppaFeel! I’ll be back soon – muddier, sassier and with even more stories about Human Behaviour under pressure (and possibly waterproof trousers). Trust me those behaviours are already coming through via a very active WhatsApp group!

No email is urgent enough to chase me up a glacier. If it is, well, I’ll see you at the summit.

See you on the flip side!
Vicky 👑

Brand booster: OoO messages are a brilliant way to stay human and memorable.

Reflection requires distance and sometimes that means literal

This isn’t a holiday, it’s a values reset. A chance to reflect on what really matters, away from Wi-Fi, back-to-back calls and the temptation to “just send one more thing.”

Spoiler alert: your best business ideas don’t happen in spreadsheets. They happen when your brain gets space to breathe.

Final mic drop:

If you can’t step away from your business, you don’t have a business, you have a hostage situation.

So yes, I’m going and yes I’m putting on my OoO and no – it’s not a cry for help, it’s a power move.

Get ready, when I return, it won’t just be me, it’ll be a reawakened Queen, carved by glaciers, fuelled by purpose and ready to reign with even more fire