So it’s only seven weeks until the New Year, and you’re desperately trying to both tackle your to-do list and stay sane? That list needs to include one very important item: a plan for how you will recover from the rush. How long is your usual vacation? Seven days? Ten, tops? Try making it at least two weeks and feel the difference.
- You finally get enough sleep
Seasoned workaholics admit they don’t feel like they’re truly on vacation until the second week. The body needs to catch up on sleep before it switches to relaxation mode. It takes eight to ten days to recover from habitual stress and become ready for something new, but that’s usually when your return flight is scheduled for. If you have at least two weeks of time on your hands, you can take it easy, let the local vibe really sink in and give in to your natural rhythm of doing things instead of jumping out of bed early to fit all must-see attractions into a meager few days. And three or four weeks of vacation time is even better, of course. Extra reason: if you are traveling with children, they will need time to acclimatize.
- It does wonders for your health
“I can’t go on vacation, I’m too busy”. Does this sound like you? Perhaps you should reconsider. Rest reduces stress, therefore it can improve your sleep, help with headaches and ease back pain. Studies show that people who don’t go on vacation are more at risk of heart problems, burnout and depression. If this doesn’t convince you, and those long to-do lists seem too important, here’s some numbers: Ernst & Young conducted an internal study and found that for each additional 10 hours of vacation time employees took improved their year-end performance ratings by 8%.
- It boosts your creativity
Stefan Sagmeister, a New York-based designer who won two Grammys for music album covers, closes his studio every seven years for a year-long sabbatical. In his TED-talk, Stefan revealed that seven years worth of design ideas was basically born during that one year off. So, vacation is useful both for your creativity and its financial consequences. This is also confirmed by neuroscience: the brain comes up with new things when it is in diffused, non-focused mode.
Covers by Stefan Sagmeister
- The world won’t fall apart
If you are afraid to leave for too long because somebody might need you ASAP, like customers, employees or relatives, try to absorb this thought: nobody will notice your absence. Everyone is too busy with their own lives. The best time to disappear is around Christmas and New Year or in August. And if you really need to stay informed on stuff, there are no-fuss solutions like universal SIM-cards that will help you not to miss the most important things.
- You will discover people can handle themselves
Are you constantly micromanaging your employees and family members? Would you like to see them run the show without your control? Leave them with just a set of goals and specific KPIs for a month. You will most likely find out that your parents are capable of ordering catfood themselves, and that your employees can reach their weekly targets without your supervision.
- It’s a way of following your dream
Have you been dreaming for years to walk the Camino de Santiago trail all the way from Porto to Santiago de Compostela? Or, perhaps, you’d like to see the volcanoes in Indonesia in all their glory? Or, how about taking a vipassana retreat in North Thailand? Just do it. By the way, anticipating the trip will make you much happier during those fussy pre-New Year days. At least that’s what research shows.