Study: Americans Feel Guilty for Relaxing on Vacation

A survey conducted by Princess Cruises revealed that 54 percent of Americans use vacation to fulfill personal obligations. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Dear America, let’s get one things straight — you should feel guilty for lying and stealing, but not for taking vacation.

A surprising survey released by Princess Cruises revealed that 42 percent of Americans feel guilty for relaxing on vacation. Instead of kicking back on a beach and unplugging, 54 percent of respondents admitted they used their vacation time to deal with personal obligations, including family emergencies, medical appointments or taking care of loved ones.

What a bummer!

By now you know that American’s are lousy at actually taking vacation days off. In fact, U.S. workers forfeited $52.4 Billion in benefits for not taking paid time off in 2013.

Related: Didn’t Take Your Vacation Days? Good Job, You Just Helped Waste $52.4 Billion

Not taking vacation is bad enough. But the fact that those who are taking days off feel guilty for relaxing is downright absurd.

“In the six years that Princess Cruises has commissioned this survey, we’ve continued to see stress levels rise year after year,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. “This is an unsustainable trend that can have a genuinely adverse impact on our society as a whole.”

This is what a family vacation should look like. No chore allowed! (Photo: Thinkstock)

Many imagine the dog days of summer to be the perfect time to relax, sip lemonade, and unwind. But with the kids out of school, 77 percent of respondents who had children said they were busier during the summer than the rest of the year.

And the saddest stat of all?  More than half of the respondents admitted that once they get home from vacation, that they felt like they needed another trip just to recover.

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