Did you know that Americans forfeit 226 million vacation days each year? Giving up vacation time is not only causing more stress but is also is linked to increased health problems. 70% of healthcare visits are related to stress. Missing out on vacation is not only taking a toll on your body but it’s also taking a toll on your brain, contributing to depression, irritability and a lack of focus.
Sounds like it’s time to unplug and book a vacation!
- Don’t be afraid to take longer vacations. Many Americans report they don’t take longer vacations because they are afraid it will impact their career. If you’re worried your boss will realize you really aren’t worth your payroll, then you really do need a vacation. Anytime you’re worried about being replaced, you realize you aren’t giving 100% and you need to recharge. Take a week or two off, set up your email autorespond and completely disconnect.
- Don’t spend your vacation social networking. Yes, we all love our social networks and want to brag about our vacation. If you’re like a majority of Americans, you spend most of the workweek staring at a screen. Why turn your vacation into a work-like environment? Leave your smartphone, tablet and any other device you have at home. Try reading a book or just gazing off into the distance. Let your brain – and eyes – have a break from the glare.
- Mix up your routine. If you typically stay out late, try going to sleep early. Or, if you typically go to bed early, stay up late. Vacations are all about spicing it up and having a different routine. How many times do we wish we could take a 3 pm nap while at work? You’re on vacation, take that nap you’ve been dreaming off!
- Be active…if you want…but don’t waste time. I know plenty of people that have taken vacation then were disappointed because they didn’t really enjoy it because they wasted too much time wasting time. Wasting time isn’t the same as relaxing. Try being active while on vacation. I don’t mean going to the gym, I’m talking about trying something fun and exciting like going horseback riding, snorkeling or hiking (followed by a nap on the beach). Try at least one thing that will get your adrenaline racing.
- Meet new people. You’re unplugged from social media so try the old fashioned way of connecting with others – real life social networking. Talk to people: ask them how their vacation is going, go out of your way to offer to take a photo for a group or help someone out.
What are your reasons to take a vacation? Let me know in the comments!
-Elizabeth Becker, Marketing Manager at PROTECH.
Hi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteCould not agree with you more. As an Australian, we get 4 weeks annual leave, I have to say that the current government and it's predecessor, the John Howard led government introduced this cash in your leave for money and stay at work option as part of what Howard called "Work Choices".
In fact it was NO Work Choices for employees at all as employers had all the strength. Some people did initially think it sounded good and sold their leave and other benefits for more pay. Of course that sort of deal is a one way trip to a mental ward as you have indicated. Humans need rest, a break from work to do other things, relax, unwind, and be refreshed. Working every day for a year only, just one year would put you in the sick bay, again as you have stressed.
It's counter productive for the employer as well as while they think they gain a short term advantage, such workers lose motivation, are always tired, tend to take sick leave on a Monday or Friday as "They just can't face it".
People become less efficient and production drops off and your predicted results are exactly what happens to such people. Depression, once developed, is likely to be permanent and no doctor in the US or here in Australia is going to attribute that illness to anything but the workplace, thus massively increasing worker's compensation and a company's legal liability.
It's not cost effective at all. It costs more to the employer and destroys the lives of many workers and their families.
The Howard led government was thrown out of Office at the following election and Work Choices done away with. The replacement government was rather inept though and they lost too, after 5 years. The current Govewrnment has one of Work Choices main proponents as it's leader and currently our Prime Minister. Tony Abbott. He keeps saying that Work Choices is dead, buried and cremated. (how do you do that??).
But everything he does is directed to resuming those conditions. Her has just signed Free Trade agreements, together with the pre existing ones, which will force Australian business to fail or workers to accept Asian level wages.
I fail to see what he thinks this will achieve except ensure Australian workers cannot get work but still have to pay the high cost of services. Frankly he ia insane in my opinion. When being sworn into Office he took an oath to govern for ALL Australians but he has not done that even once in 7 months. He works for the rich and the big business companies, not the people.
I'm old enough to remember when computers first started appearing that all and sundry were predicting humans would be leading lives of le\isure as computers took the drudgery away. Pipe dreams. Human's workload has increased in fact and people are going down with depression and the early parts of that in increasing numbers.
I don't understand how a government cannot see what this type of action does. I know most politicians are not intelligent, just the biggest bulies in their Party, but they do have advisors who can tell them all this. You know it, I know it. It's obvious is it not?
In my last job I had 35 staff and when I took over as Manager all staff were working at least two nights overtime every week. And taking the sick leave that causes. Negating any gains at all.
So first thing I did was to stop overtime unless I decided it was needed and told the staff if they have a backlog they cannot handle then I will take that information to management and ask them which tasks we should cease if they did not increase staffing levels.
I was there 3 years and I changed that work place from a hell hole to one where no one complained about anything, of their own free will. As they were working regular hours and getting a fair hearing.In fact people from other Departments wanted to work with us. A total 180 degree change.
So, well said, lizabeth and may the message filter through to those who think squeezing more work out of people is a good idea. IT ISN'T.