There are a variety of reasons that employees choose to NOT take time off from work, but I am here to tell you to take that vacation you’ve been dreaming of and enjoy it! Pack your bags and leave your guilty feelings at the door. Vacations need to start feeling less like a luxury and more like a necessity. They help you to continue living a healthy, well-balanced life and can be just as important as exercise and diet. The best part about vacation days is that they’re not only good for you, but they benefit your company as well! And here’s why:
Vacation relieves stress
Give your brain a break! Brains are like sponges. They can only soak up and retain so much information. So if you’re feeling burnt out or overly stressed, taking some time off will dramatically reduce those feelings and allow you to feel more balanced.
When you’re out of the office, others have the opportunity to grow
It’s easy to feel guilty about taking a vacation because we don’t want to leave our colleagues with a pile of work, or projects that won’t get completed, but try to think of it from a different angle. When you’re away, coworkers tend to step up to the plate and take on additional responsibilities. If you’re in a management role, use that time away as a test to see who can become your point person, or who is ready for a promotion.
Vacation improves your sleep and is good for your health
Besides coming back to work recharged and rested, vacation also helps with your overall health and wellness. In fact, studies have shown that men and women who take less time off are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and even heart disease. You feel better, you sleep well and your mood becomes lifted, plus when you’re not calling out sick, you can even be saving your company money.
You’ll end up miserable if you don’t take breaks
No matter how much you convince yourself that you can work and work with no time off, eventually your mind and body will catch up to you, and when it does… watch out! We as people are wired to recharge as time goes on, not go long stretches of time without a breather. When you find yourself daydreaming about quitting your job and moving to a tropical island, it may be time to take a break. Try to catch those feelings before they happen. You don’t want to end up resenting your company or your co-workers.
Vacation improves your productivity and helps you regain focus
Coming back to work relaxed and refreshed will make you much more productive. If you’re feeling stressed and overworked, that can lead to impatience, cloudy thoughts and poor decision making. Vacations help you to recharge and also allow those bigger ideas and visions to come to fruition. Time away is great opportunity to develop new and fresh ideas.
Do you have any vacations planned for the summer? Comment below or tweet us @TheDavisCos.
