Each year more than 50% of the working population give up paid time off. Considering that over 50% of managers feel burned out, it is clear what not taking time off is costing us.
It doesn’t matter what your profession, experience, expertise, or position is. Taking vacation is simply a tool to help you reach the level of relaxation that’s crucial to burnout prevention, it’s never the goal itself. We vacation to relax and rest, not to get good at taking vacations.
For some people, “I can’t take a vacation” means “I want to take a vacation, but seriously, have you seen my work calendar?” For some others, “I can’t take a vacation” is far more literal: “I’ve tried to take a vacation, but when I’m away from work, I can’t stop my mind from thinking about work the entire time.”
Whether it’s going on an adventurous trip, relaxing on a beach with a mojito or just taking a staycation, rest and relaxation have proven to improve many areas in our life. The advantages of encouraging employees (and yourself) to take time off go beyond just rest and relaxation:
1. Better Employee Retention
Given that employee turnover cost can go up to 400% of the annual salary for a high-level or highly specialized employee, vacation and taking time off can be used as a tool to help increase employee retention and reduce costs.
2. Better Productivity
Like so many people, you might think that not taking time off equals productivity – that it is an essential part of success. However, data shows that without recovery periods, our ability to perform at high levels diminishes significantly.
When you take time off, your stress is gradually released. You’ll start enjoying the space and energy it leaves behind for productivity, clarity and confidence. The productivity contrast between pre-vacation and post-vacation cannot be starker. Employees become much more effective at their jobs, gaining up to a week of productivity, saving companies thousands of dollars.
3. Burnout Prevention
Burnout and chronic fatigue are epidemic in today’s fast-paced society. Employee burnout is a big issue for employers. According to Gallup, burned out employees cost $3,400 out of every $10,000 in salary because of disengagement.
When we take personal time, we ease our body out of a chronic fight-flight-or-freeze state. As a result, the brain and the stress response systems of the body are very often able to recover and resume healthy function.
4. Increased Motivation and Drive
Your mind can be constantly preoccupied trying to keep track of what you need to get done at work and in personal life. Your busy mind leads to low (and sometimes high) levels of stress and anxiety permeating your life. It becomes harder to get stuff done and find the motivation to do work. As you start laying out your plans for a vacation, you’ll find that your mind and physical body start moving toward enhanced motivation and drive. This clarified sense of motivation impacts not only your professional career, but also your personal life. Vacations take you out of a working environment and create the mental and physical distance you need to go back to the office with a renewed sense of motivation and drive.
5. Improved Mental Health
If you struggle with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, we urge you to take some off. Vacation seems to have a positive impact on mental health. Improving your mood and reducing the levels of anxiety and stress may be the two most significant benefits of taking a vacation. Vacations allow you to sleep better, strengthen your relationships and relax – all of which support and improve your mental health.
6. Improved Physical Health
You can wish for a new and improved version of you to live a new and improved version of your life, or you can do something new. You just have to be willing to trust that distancing yourself from work for a period of time will help improve your physical health. Research studies have shown that taking regular vacations could help reduce the risk for metabolic syndrome – a multitude of health issues including high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Another study found that the frequency of annual vacations by middle-aged men at high risk for coronary heart disease is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality.
7. Enhanced Employee Relationship
The physical and emotional space is essential for reaping the maximum benefits and establishing the healthiest and most productive relationship with others. That’s how vacations help you experience better relationships with your coworkers. And when you improve your relationship with people around you, you tap into a whole new level of efficiency.
Vacations can make our lives more colorful with bliss. But the timing and consistency matters. We don’t want to go for days or weeks without meditating. The cycle of working and vacationing saturates the body and the nervous system with serotonin and dopamine – while you achieve the most productive and motivated version of you.