It might be counterintuitive, but vacation leads to greater work productivity
We’ve been leaving the windows open in the evenings and I realized it is beginning to sound like summer. It doesn’t feel like summer yet, but the crickets seem to be beckoning the warmer days our way.
There are many good things that summer brings and my favorite is the opportunity to travel with my family. Whether a vacation or staycation, it is important to take time away from work and focus on family relationships.
Just last year, Rebecca Zucker wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review. She cited several research studies that support the need to take vacation from work where people can completely unplug and distance themselves from their work.
She writes “an Ernst and Young study showed for every additional 10 hours of vacation time employees took, their year-end performance improved 8%, and another study showed using all of your vacation time increases your chances of getting a promotion or a raise.”
Some companies are experimenting with mandatory vacation time. One company surveyed employees after their mandatory vacation and found clear increases in creativity, happiness (mood) and productivity. It can be a badge of honor for some people to show off how hard they work by not taking all their vacation time. Making this a requirement allowed them to challenge the work culture of the company and counter any warrior or martyr mentality.
Pew Research published in 2023 shows 46% of workers take less vacation time than is offered to them during a year. The most popular reason for more than half of those workers was they “don’t feel they need to take more time off.” Almost half felt worried they would fall behind at work and 43% felt badly about co-workers taking on additional work in their absence.
There is an overlap in how much workers view their job as being central to their overall identity and their reluctance to take their vacation time away from work. There is a direct correlation to education level and income in this case. Over half of people (53%) with a postgraduate degree say their career is extremely or very important to their overall identity. While less than 40% of people with a bachelor’s degree or less education agree with that statement. Likewise, of upper income earning workers, 47% say their job and identity are extremely or very connected, while only 37% of other workers agree.
Vacations are good for the mind, body and soul. Spending time in nature has positive effects like reducing heart rates and blood pressure. In a study of 749 women, researchers found those who took vacation less than once every six years were eight times more likely to develop heart problems compared to those who went on vacation twice a year.
Research shows even planning for a vacation can improve our well-being as we look forward to the experience. Part of that preparation includes identifying a budget. Saving money each month can go a long way in reducing stress to pay for a vacation. It can also be helpful to plan for other ways to generate some cash, like hosting a garage sale or selling unneeded household items online.
No matter what you do or where you go, the key is to be fully present. Enjoy the family or friends you are with. Take time to move and to be still. Explore. Learn. Rest. Renew.
Today, I’ll leave you with this quote from Sydney J. Harris: “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Taking a break from work is good for the mind, body and soul
