You’re Never Too Busy to Go On Vacation

Ah, summer—the time to catch up on all the things you didn’t get done during the first half of 2006. Let’s face it, you need every edge you can get, and there’s no time for slacking off.  He who hesitates is lost.  Time waits for no one.  Right?

Wrong.

This week marks the first week of summer, and I sincerely hope that you have already scheduled some vacation time during the next three months.  It could mean the difference between a highly productive second half of 2006 and an unfortunate crash-and-burn flameout by the time the holidays arrive.

Five reasons to take a break

More than likely, your company has a standard policy regarding vacation time, and no matter what you’re currently entitled to—one week, two weeks, or more—you should take every bit of it.  Whether or not you enjoy it all in one lump sum or break it up into segments is for you (and your boss) to decide, but deciding not to take it at all, well, that could be seriously detrimental to your health, as well as to your career.

• The physical benefits—Your body has limits, plain and simple, and it can’t tolerate long working hours and little sleep indefinitely.  Even if you only work a standard eight-hour day (which could be termed a rarity), your body still needs down time that a weekend can’t fully provide.  Giving your body the rest it needs is the first step to being more productive.
• The psychological benefits—Just like your body needs rest and recreation, so does your mind.  Not taking a vacation can have the same cumulative effect as sleep deprivation.  That means you’re not as sharp, you’re not as alert, and you’re not as creative.  None of those attributes add up to a raise or a promotion.

• The emotional benefits—Constantly wearing down your mind and body will eventually wear you down emotionally.  It’s inevitable.  Your emotional wellbeing is tied directly to how good you feel physically and mentally.  Ideally, your job and your profession should be a source of fun and excitement, not a black hole sucking the life from you.  Not taking time off will push you closer toward that black hole, even if find your job exciting.
• Balancing your life—Chances are good that there are some people in your life, besides your boss and co-workers, who want to see you.  That’s right: the members of your family.  Perhaps they’ve supported you while you’ve worked long hours on the job.  A vacation is the perfect way to spend time with them and let them know how much you value the relationships you have with them.

• Appreciating your work—If you never take an extended break from your job, you’ll learn to resent it, no matter how much you really like it.  A vacation will give you time to actually miss your work, and once you return to it, you’ll be surprised at how enthusiastic you’ll be.

The ‘Superman Myth’

You probably know somebody who seems to go full-bore all the time, with no rest and no recreation.  Although you may find yourself wondering how that person does it (and maybe even envying them a little), there’s no telling what kind of physical, psychological, and emotional toll it’s taking on them, not to mention the impact it might be having on their family.

No, Superman is a myth.  Unfortunately, during the past few years, not taking vacation time seems to have become the norm for employees in this country.  However, slowly but surely, more and more employees (and equally as important, employers) have acknowledged the benefits that vacation time provides.  Vacations are not for slackers.   They’re for hard-working, productive individuals who want to maximize the effectiveness they bring to their jobs and the enjoyment they derive from their careers.