When the vacations roll round, many professionals discover themselves in work limbo, not sure of once they can actually unplug from the job. For CEOs, the final stretch of 2025 is not any completely different: Many discover it laborious to step away from work, particularly as companies growth in the course of the festive season. However chief executives are taking again their vacation downtime with small wins of their work-life preparations.
Regardless of the vacation season clearing out places of work, sending 1000’s on trip, and shutting down shops early, CEOs inform Fortune their work lives are nonetheless intense. Most say they will by no means actually unplug from the job, all the time on name if enterprise beckons them again to their laptops. However leaders are nonetheless discovering little methods to catch a breather from being CEO. Cooking helps one chief government join along with his household, whereas one other swears by the vacation season as a “completely sacred” time to unplug and decide up a guide.
CEOs inform Fortune completely unwinding in the course of the vacation season is less complicated stated than completed, however they’re making it work by setting these boundaries:
One week of adventures and no set conferences
“To some extent, as a founder & CEO of a large and fast-growing company, especially one responsible for patient health and outcomes, I’m on 24/7, and I can be reached anytime without boundaries,” stated Sami Inkinen, the CEO and cofounder of Virta Well being Group. “My unplugging is more daily in that I allocate time for sports (especially cycling, my hobby), my family, and my spouse.”
“I do try to have a week or so without organized work meetings,” Inkinen continued. “Sometimes this week includes backcountry adventures where I can not be reached, [for example], trail running in the Himalayas in Nepal.”
Cooking for his household
“I’m in the restaurant industry—there is no unplugging—but on a serious note, unplugging for me is cooking. I’m always cooking, especially with my kids. I have five, I’m always plugged in,” stated Derrick Hayes, the CEO and founding father of Massive Dave’s Cheesesteaks.
Two hours of no cellphone time
“I really try my hardest to put my phone down for at least two hours a day. For me, that really helps me literally unplug, recharge and spend dedicated and quality time with my family,” stated Seth Berkowitz, the CEO and founding father of Insomnia Cookies.
Energetic ‘Keep the Lights On’ mode
“We’re a small team and everyone wears a lot of hats, so I try to make the holidays feel as restful as possible. We do something we call KTLO—’Keep the Lights On.’ Basically, we cancel all internal meetings and limit external ones so people can actually step away,” stated Ryan Lupberger, the CEO and founding father of Clear Cult.
Drowning the noise with snowboarding and Legos
“I unplug by creating moments that feel protected from the noise of the world,” stated Ricardo Amper, the CEO and founding father of Incode. “My mornings start with quiet and coffee before my phone wakes up. That hour resets me. When I go skiing, I disconnect completely because the mountain demands my full attention. And at home, my daughter pulls me into her world.”
“It is impossible to think about deepfakes while we build a Lego tower together. Those simple moments keep me grounded,” Amper added.
Really unplugging with books
“For me, the holiday season is completely sacred—I take this time off and truly unplug. In the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I step away completely and steep myself in reading, walking the dogs and connecting with people outside of work,” stated Sarah Chavarria, the CEO and president of Delta Dental. “Boundaries matter—and honoring them is essential to how I stay balanced.”
Annual Costa Rica journey
“I always go back to my motherland, Costa Rica, for the holidays to spend time with family and friends,” stated Alvaro Luque, the CEO and president of Avocados from Mexico.
Choose hours on-line
“I don’t really believe in completely unplugging,” stated Cesar Carvalho, the CEO and cofounder of Wellhub. “What works better for me is integration. I coordinate schedules with my team and family ahead of time so everyone knows what to expect, and I keep a couple of hours each day when I’m available if something urgent comes up.”
“I find this approach more realistic and less stressful than trying to be ‘all in’ on one thing or another,” Carvalho continued. “The same way I don’t want to only work during work days, I don’t want to totally disconnect during time off. It’s more about finding harmony between work and life.”
