What is your ideal vacation? If you could choose anywhere, would you rather go abroad or stay somewhere close to home?
Do you often wonder why some people feel so much more refreshed after coming back from a holiday and more open? No, I’m not just talking about lazy beach holidays with cocktails and a hammock.
While many of us say we intend or plan to take a vacation when you actually do accumulate holiday time, do you find it difficult to use it, either through choosing your location or when to go?
Much of this is due to us not wanting to use it, thinking that accumulation of several weeks will be better; that it shows diligence for one’s job and the business.
I’m here to tell you how actually pencilling in that time out of the office can even help you, not just outside of work, but also at work itself, in both attitude and work ethic.
Helps give you a new perspective
One of the main things that a vacation does for your well-being is that it can help to change your perspective.
For example, a trip to the Sunshine Coast for the holidays can allow you to have a literal change of scenery, and it can reward you with the ability to take a breather and set things at your own pace.
It can enable you to accept balance and realise that life isn’t purely about trying to manage the next spreadsheet in your pile and that, when you do things for others, you can request to have the same.
Lowers your stress and increases productivity
The idea of going on a holiday is that you remove the stresses that come with reality. You take the time to “clock out” from everyday life.
Hence, you have the ability to choose how you want to set your priorities, whether it’s doing nothing one day and lazing by a pool or on a beach or whether you want to go see a local attraction.
This has the ability to lower your stress levels, by acknowledging what you can handle and assessing your limitations. In turn, you can reapply this back at work by setting your boundaries and seeing your priorities when you “clock back in” to work.
This then can also reward you with that diligence for which you were searching, as many people experience an increase in their productivity levels.
Helps your sleep cycle
When you go away on holiday, you intend to leave your cares and other concerns at home, rather than bringing them with you.
When we deal with the daily grind, many of us forget to switch off. Often a holiday is a great time for you to catch up on some hours of snooze time that you may not have been allowing yourself.
While some people like an itinerary of activities, it is also wise to remember to take time to rest and relax.
After all, R&R does stand for “rest and recuperate,” meaning you want to return feeling more refreshed, and hopefully, with a more open and active mindset.
Therefore, don’t feel bad if you want a few extra hours in the hotel bed.
Sets a goal you want to achieve
For some people, the planning leading up to going on a trip can feel just as stressful.
However, treat it as tasks you are wanting to meet by a certain period. Arranging the trip and setting tasks can help to motivate you and alleviate the worry and concern that may have happened if you had done it closer to the final departure when the time finally arrived.
Moreover, by organising things ahead of time, you can fully enjoy the holiday when you get there instead of feeling already drained.
This then helps you back in the office in understanding how to set your work goals more effectively.
Increases mood and improves relationships
Quite often, when we’re overworked, the impact comes through in an increase in burnout and frustration, which, unfortunately, can come across to those around us.
By taking a periodical holiday every so often, you actually improve your relationships with others in your workplace and your personal life.
The anticipation of taking a holiday helps your mental health with a boost in mood, with the happy thought of something to look forward to coming up in future.
You also have the opportunity to strengthen these relationships by the use of teamwork, communication and learning through the means of new experiences.
This then allows you to focus on what is most important when you return to ‘normal life’ and apply those actions with your colleagues, family and friends.
At the end of the day, when it comes to your overall health, both physical and psychological, the benefits of taking that time out of the office can do you more good than you may have originally thought. Safe travels!
