When you're tired, overworked and stressed out, a good vacation can be just what the doctor ordered. The catch is that it's not always easy to take a break when you need it most. If you're nodding your head in agreement, check out this Harvard Business Review piece by Emma Seppälä, PhD, associate director of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.
As Seppälä explains in her piece, workers in the United States tend to have less vacation days than employees elsewhere. Moreover, many people find it hard to truly "unplug" when they finally do take a vacation because smartphones, Wi-Fi and other electronic devices are so readily available.
But, fewer vacation days and smartphones aren't entirely to blame for the bloated work schedules that are ubiquitous here and elsewhere. As Seppälä explains, many salaried employees with ample vacation time sometimes feel they can't take an extended holiday because vacations are not "productive" and being out of the office, and out of touch, can have negative repercussions.
"Unfortunately, the logic of both employees and employers is highly flawed," Seppälä writes. "Both fail to realize that cutting into vacation time is actually detrimental to both organizations and their employees both in terms of financial and productivity costs." One short-term solution that can help employees endure a long period of work is a "mini-break"— a vacation that's compressed into a few hours and can be taken virtually anywhere. She elaborates:
Research by Sabine Sonnentag suggests that detaching from work is essential to enhanced productivity. Her work has shown that, while people who do not detach from work suffering from greater levels of exhaustion, those who do recover from job stress and are more likely to have higher engagement levels at work.
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If you really can’t take a proper vacation, Adam Rifkin, successful Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and founder of PandaWhale, suggests “taking a little downtime every day rather than pushing it off for some getaway week.” Sonnentag’s research also suggests that if you make an effort to completely disengage from work when the workday is over – by, for example, engaging in a hobby you enjoy, exercising, or taking a walk in nature – you will reap the benefits: you will feel less fatigued, more engaged at work, and more energized when you leave work.
Stopping to smell the roses can make a big difference in your overall well-being during periods of high work flow, but a mini-break is no substitute for the real thing. So, if you absolutely can't take an extended vacation, make the most of the downtime you have. Just be sure you also find a way to take that long vacation you've been dreaming of.
Previously: Exposure to nature helps quash depression – so enjoy the great outdoors!, Seven ways laughter can improve your well-being, What email does to your brain and How social connection can improve physical and mental health and Out-of-office autoreply: Reaping the benefits of nature
Photo by Joe Penniston
