Back in 1910, William Taft made the statement that vacations should be two or three months long, “in order to continue work the next year with that energy and effectiveness which it ought to have” (The New York Times, 07/31/1910). Most employers won’t give you that much time off, but according to a paper published in Journal of Happiness Studies, the length of the vacation may not be as important as the regularity. It states, “Instead of skipping vacations or taking only one long vacation in years, it seems much more reasonable to schedule several shorter vacations across a work year in order to maintain high levels of [health and well-being].” Taking a summer vacation each year can help you be happier, healthier, and – yes – even a better worker!
Worried About What Your Boss Will Think?
Some people hesitate to ask for time off, thinking their boss will consider them lazy or unproductive. Don’t let that thinking hold you back! Project: Time Off reports that the majority of HR managers agree that taking all your vacation time will make you a more productive employee.
What’s more, Shawn Achor (best-selling author of The Happiness Advantage), reports that “when the brain can think positively, productivity improves by 31%, sales increase by 37%, and creativity and revenues can triple.”
How to Vacation for Success
So, if vacations are so great, why do studies show that people are often not happier after a vacation? The problem is often in how well-planned the vacation is. The less planning that you do, the more stress you are likely to experience on vacation. And that stress can cancel out any benefits of taking time off. Start planning at least one month in advance. The more details you figure out early, the more relaxing your vacation will be.
Every year in the U.S., hundreds of millions of hours worth of vacation time go unused. Don’t add to that statistic – use your vacation time this summer, and finish 2017 off successfully!
Staffing Resources does all we can to help Atlanta-area workers find success at work. Search our jobs in Gwinnett County to see what kind of career advancement you can make with Staffing Resources!