10 Reasons Everyone Needs a Vacation

Some are lucky enough to have found meaningful fulfilling work and it is often hard to break away to take a vacation.  Others work in an environment where people never take vacations.  They feel they are too busy, the boss always has a reason why it is not the right time, or the culture of the company is such that no one takes a vacation.  Vacations are very important. Why?  Here is a list of 10 benefits of a vacation.

1. Gain Perspective on Life – During day to day work our minds are caught up with the problems and activities of the job. Vacations are times for a change of pace. Ask yourself – Do you live to work or work to live?  Am I doing meaningful work?
2. Wards Off Burn Out – Vacations give you time to relax, de-stress and let go. Constant stress on the job can lead to burn out. Recovering from burnout requires lots of non-work time.
3. Enhances Creativity – With down time you are able to let the daily worries go.  Now you have made room for new thinking and creativity. For example many clients tell me that just as they are going to bed at night millions of new ideas pop into their heads. Vacations set the stage for lots of time to let ideas flow.  Often you bring that relaxed feeling back to your office and the creative ideas continue to flow.
4. Family or Self-Time – When I was 10 years old my parents took me on a trip to visit relatives in North Bay, Ontario. It was a long drive from Massachusetts but to this day I remember it as a wonderful experience. I got to spend hours with my mother and father.  This was time we had no other thoughts except to explore our new surroundings and renew our connection to each other. A vacation allows you to spend quality time with your family or by yourself. During my vacations I usually travel alone. A trip to a spa or someplace away from your home can also be a renewing and exciting event.
5. A Rest for Your Body and Mind – How refreshing to let go of daily tasks and relax into something new! It gives your mind a rest and if you have strenuous work it gives your body a rest too. Even if your work isn’t physically strenuous it allows you time to listen to your body and pay attention. Many physical illnesses come from a lack of down time and stress.
6. Get Appreciation – It is nice to be missed and frequently when someone is on vacation those who work with him or her suddenly realize how much that person does and how valuable he/she is to the organization. Of course the reverse could happen too. If you discover that you were not missed, then you will need to work on finding ways to add value to your work or your job will be in jeopardy. A coach can help you!
7. Appreciate Your Job – Having unstructured time to do what you want to do is fun initially. At the end of my vacation however I feel really energized and excited to get back to the structured environment of my work. This is because I love my work. If you find yourself dreading going back to work, you need to find out what the problem is and get it resolved. If you realize you are not doing meaningful work, a coach can help you find what is meaningful to you.
8. Time to Think about Career -The Wisconsin Medical Journal reports on a study on 1500 women between 1996 and 2001 that shows that vacations help employees do a better job. Vacations give people time to think. Some employees might contemplate how to do a better job and others might think about how to get a better job! J
9. Fewer Regrets – The late Paul Tsongas who was a Senator from Massachusetts once said “Nobody on his deathbed ever said ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office’. Now is the time to begin living the life you love.
10. Expands the Mind – Vacations give you time to see, hear or read something new. Whether you take a trip, go to concerts, or get caught up on your reading, vacations give you the space to do something that is different and new. A change in routine gives you all sorts of new possibilities.

Vacations are good for employers too. Joe Robinson, author of the book Work to Live, (www.worktolive.info ) says that vacations improve productivity and profits. At one company he cited sales increased 15 percent, a staff turnover problem was eliminated, and performance improved so much that the company was able to get rid of overtime.

Feeling Trapped at Work?

If you are in a position where you afraid to take a vacation and you want to make a positive change in your life and your work, now is the time to hire a coach.  With coaching you will identify what change you want to make and then will construct a roadmap to implement the change.  As your coach I will support you, advise you, and encourage you on your journey.  You will feel more confident and more optimistic to finally know that you are on the right path, one that will let you be happy at work.