In a world of ever-increasing demands, people are spending less time out of the office and taking fewer days off. Fall victim to this trend, and it will harm your health and productivity. Instead, do the following:
- Take every day of vacation you’re given. Don’t hold it over and don’t tell yourself that you don’t have the time. You’ll get more done at a higher level of quality if you take time off and come back to the office rested.
- Truly disengage when you’re away. If you don’t, you won’t be getting the full benefits of time off. If you have to answer email, set aside one short chunk of time to do so.
- Don’t settle for three or four days off. Short periods are fine, but they’re not sufficient. If you have an intense job, it takes at least two consecutive weeks away from work to fully restore yourself.
Adapted from “More Vacation is the Secret Sauce” by Tony Schwartz.
