Rachel Zupek Farrell,
Workers are back to reality -- and their desks -- after some much needed time off this summer. Well, at least some workers took time off.
Twenty-four
percent of full-time workers surveyed reported they couldn't afford to
take a vacation this year, up from 21 percent last year, according to a
CareerBuilder study of more than 5,600 workers.
Of
workers who did plan to take a vacation, 30 percent plan to work while
on vacation, while another 30 percent say they will contact work while
they're away.
"Taking advantage of vacation or paid-time-off
benefits is critical not only to your well-being, but to your overall
job performance," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.
"Workers
who set aside time for R&R tend to have less burnout, more creative
energy and higher-quality output. While financial challenges and heavy
workloads may make vacation planning difficult, it's important to find
time to recharge away or at home. It can ultimately translate into a
more gratifying work experience that benefits you, your family and your
employer."
The real question is why do people have such a hard
time taking time away from the office? Do they feel guilty? Are they
worried they'll be fired? Do they not trust those who will be in charge
during their absence? Or do they just love work so much they can't bear
to walk away, even for a day?
I asked workers about their vacation
and relaxation habits -- or lack thereof -- and why those habits exist.
Here's what a few of them said:
"Taking time off is something
that I gradually learned to do over the years. I used to not only work
long hours, but I'd also throw myself into volunteer projects and just
kind of be a workaholic at whatever I did. Slowly, it just started
sinking in that by not giving myself a break, I was making myself less
effective at the things I was trying to do.
"I have no problem
working long hours when I need to, but I've become fairly adamant about
taking vacations and not working AT ALL when I'm off: no cell phone, no
email, nada. Look at one work email and you get sucked into the vortex
and relaxation disappears. I often arrange to have at least part of my
vacation in places where electronic distractions are unavailable, as a
sort of guarantee that I really do detach from it all for at least a
bit.
"It helps. I always return to work more alert, energized and
productive. Burnout doesn't have to be collapsing in a crumpled heap;
it can be much more subtle -- every day becoming a slog because you
haven't had time to recharge." -- Bruce Mirken, media relations coordinator, The Greenlining Institute
"My wife and I own and operate two Internet properties. We have been entrepreneurs for many years. WHAT IS TIME OFF?
"I
vacation frequently; however, I take my laptop and work a minimum of 15
to 60 minutes each day. I am not so foolish to think that everything
will stop without me. Family has always come first, and I never missed a
soccer game, dinner, vacation or spending time with my wife and
children. When the kids would go to bed, I would choose to check in at
work versus watching 'Desperate Housewives.'" -- Bob Shrilla, owner, Simply Bags and Keepsakes Etc.
"We
are witnessing tough economic time[s], which is putting business
executives in stressful situation[s]. Stress management is [a] key thing
in today's time. What matters is mind control. We have so many positive
and negative thoughts going on in our mind[s] that it becomes difficult
to focus and concentrate. I take breaks in between working hours. I
meditate for short periods, take deep breaths and shift my mind from
mundane business matters to something pleasant, like vacations. This
kind of relaxation helps me re-energize myself." -- Ajay Patole, Management Opinions of Ajay
"I
used to struggle with taking time off early in my career. I found that
when I would go away, I would be so tense it took me a few days to
relax. Part of it was fear and desperation -- I can't let stuff drop.
Several times when I would travel for work or vacation, I would come
back and things had fallen apart. The negative experiences I had in the
past and the eagerness to provide for my family at all costs made me
afraid to let go.
"I would only have a day or so of relaxation
before I would wind back up again in anticipation of going back to work.
I was such a mess and hard to be around -- it wasn't worth the
vacation.
"Now that I am an entrepreneur, I have more control of
when and how long I can vacation. I still have to consciously coach
myself to get in relaxation mode.
"I work my guts out while I am
at work and play my guts out while I am on vacation. I try to have
everything set up before I leave, so I can relax on the vacation.
"I
do allow myself one work issue to think through while on vacation. If I
think about an issue in relaxation mode, I can creatively solve the
problem. I use those waiting moments on a vacation to think through the
problem and the rest of the time focus [on] enjoying the vacation.
"I
still struggle with whether to check emails every day or so, or come
home to over 1,600 emails. This summer, I vacationed for 10 days in Europe
and came home to all those emails. My flight home was stressful, and
knowing I had 1,600 plus emails to answer added to the level of misery
-- like jumping into a cold pool of water.
"I have found that over
the years, vacationing and making time for loved ones is critical. I
have made vacation a priority in my life and find that when I don't, I
start living in kind of a desperate mode.