Taking time off from work can feel a little self-indulgent; it’s understandable to feel guilty that while you’re off at the beach or watching a film at home, your co-workers are still at their desks ensuring that the company is running. Some people give into those feelings of guilt and opt not to use their vacation days.
On the surface this might seem like a good idea; you become more productive and you’re no doubt benefiting the economy. Except this idea that more work equals higher productivity is a fallacy, and in fact, the opposite is true. Employees are scared about the workload they will have to return to. A more pressing concern is being branded by managers and other coworkers that by taking time off they aren’t committed to their work. They’re scared about their work security and don’t want to jeopardize that by being seen as a slacker. But it’s actually imperative that employees take that time off work. This is why;
It’s a stress reliever
Working incessantly can be stressful. There’s a limit to what both your body and mind can take, and you edge closer to that threshold the longer you work without taking time to relax and reset mentally. Stress takes a serious toll on your health. It diminishes the hours you sleep and the quality of your sleep, alters your mood and decision-making abilities, and can even affect your relationships.
There are a number of everyday steps you can take to reduce stress, but taking extended time off from your work allows you to forget about those nagging deadlines and those e-mails you think you just have to reply to. It separates you from the demands of work and puts you in a space where you can work on your own self-development.
It’s good for the economy
This might seem unbelievable .How can working less time possibly improve the economy? For sure, every hour devoted to production is beneficial to the GDP? This is true to an extent, but you have to look at the bigger picture. Those are days that workers would no doubt spend paying for hotels, drinking beer at a bar, paying for concert tickets, taking it easy with some retail therapy and treating their dates to amusement park rides. In short, they would be spending money. And it’s that type of spending that encourages work creation and industry growth.
Don’t feel bad for relaxing. Instead, use your vacation days to revitalize your body and mind, and you’re bound to come back with a renewed vigor and a spring in your step
