If you’ve ever been at your child’s graduation or on your way to the beach or a hike and couldn’t resist the urge to check your work email, you’re not alone. After all, the constant alerts don’t stop just because you’re not there. Even though we know that resting is important for our mental and physical health, it’s also easy to get vacation guilt and worry that everything isn’t perfect before we leave.
It’s that nagging vacation guilt about not being there, the fear of passing on your responsibilities, or the worry that you’ll fall behind and, dare we say it, miss out on a raise. Thus, some people think their bosses might not want them to go on vacation, even if it’s part of their benefits package. A Pew study found that almost half of Americans take less vacation time than they are given.
Still, many experts have said over the years that taking time off is a good way to avoid burnout, as well as improve company mood and retain employees.
Seeing your holiday as a “productive rest” can give you the confidence to clear your schedule and also recharge.
Here are 4 ways to avoid vacation guilt:
1. Change the way you think about vacation.
The first step in work-proofing your vacation is to deal with the guilt of not being available.
Think of it not as a perk but as your rights.
Try to be just as present on your days off as at work. Work will be there when you get back, and people often forget that spending time with loved ones is important for their health and happiness.
It’s about putting as much effort into your work as you do into your rest, knowing that both will help ease your vacation guilt somehow.
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