Since it is vacation season, I started to reflect on why vacations are important. I’m always sad when I see an employee who never takes vacation. Often these kinds of employees either do not have a life outside of work or they have so much of their self-worth tied to their job that they just can’t seem to break away, even for a short period of time.
Following are some advantages of employees taking vacations.
1. Something to Look Forward to
Vacations give us something to look forward to. In today’s business environment, with all of us trying to do more with less, the day-to-day stresses mount up and having something to look forward to is really important. I’ve figured out that planning a vacation and looking forward to it is almost as much fun as the vacation itself. Even if the vacation is spent at home catching up on home projects, it is a distraction from the normal routine and can be very therapeutic.
2. Work-life balance
I strongly believe in order to be productive at work one needs to have a life outside of work. When work is the only thing someone thinks about, they have the potential to get a little off center. Balance is the key and healthy working environments are a result of having employees who have a healthy work-life balance.
3. Recharge the Battery
I find vacations refreshing and allow me to recharge my mental batteries. I do this by intentionally doing something fun and very different from what I do at work. I enjoy traveling and while I don’t do as much as I would like, I do gain new perspectives when traveling away from my home environment. I also like to catch up on my reading when I go on vacation. Those professional journals sometimes stack up and vacation time is a good time to catch up. Enjoying a hobby is also a great way to recharge the battery! I have taken up the game of golf in the last couple of years and really enjoy golfing as a distraction and mental refreshing.
4. Nurture Important Relationships
My husband and I have always looked at vacations as an investment in our family and our relationship. When our kids were small we tried to go somewhere every year, even if it was camping or somewhere local. We found these times nurtured and helped develop our relationships. I’ve also traveled with friends and have found the same thing. When you spend that much time with people, there is a bonding that takes place and these relationships keep us mentally strong and stable.
5. Enjoy the Fruit of Our Labor
I believe vacations are a gift and when we work hard, it is a reward and a manifestation of our hard work. We should enjoy our vacations because we deserve it!
6. Improved Mental Health
Vacation is an important part of maintaining good mental health. Clearing our minds and refreshing ourselves mentally is very important for those who are in this for the long haul!
These are reasons I think vacations are important. What are yours?
photo by: epSos.de
