On average, Americans take less than half of their vacation days. Yes, you heard that correctly nearly half of some employees are opting to just let their paid time off go to waste. If ever there were an eye-popping statistic, this is it: According to the U.S. Travel Association, the record number of unused vacation days reveals the troubling truth that in a culture where we wear business like a badge of honor, taking a break has somehow become a dirty word.
Why is this happening? For many, it is the fear of looking lazy or like you don’t care. As Ed, a former management consultant, recalled in his experience, “Team players didn’t take time off. Instead, they got stressed, overworked, overweight, divorced, and had fewer days off than medieval peasants!” Seriously peasants in the Middle Ages had more time off than a lot of people do now.
But here’s the kicker: to not take your vacation days doesn’t make better employee. It may even be doing the opposite. Research shows that employees who take regular vacations are less likely to suffer from burnout, leaving them more creative and productive and engaged at work. A study from Namely, a human-resources software company, even found that employees with unlimited PTO policies which are often promoted as a perk tend to take fewer vacation days than employees with standard policies. Why? Without clear guidelines followed by encouragement from managers, employees feel guilty for taking time off.
Why vacations work, science behind it is fascinating. Neuroscientists have discovered a network that is responsible for all of this, known as the “default mode network” (DMN), which turns on when your brain is in daydream or mind-wandering mode. This network is needed for creative and outside the box thinking. As Steve Jobs put it succinctly, “Creativity is connecting things.” And guess what? Your DMN loves you not answering emails or in back-to-back meetings.
Vacations hit the reset button on your brain. Research from the University of Pittsburgh’s Mind-Body Center determined that vacations enhance pleasant feelings and decrease depression. Even the prospect of a trip can elevate your mood for weeks to come. And the advantages don’t end there one research found that three days after vacation, folks had improved sleep quality, mood and bodily well being. The effects lingered for up to five weeks post-vacation, particularly for those who spent their time off prioritizing personal time and fun activities.
The influence of vacations is personal, sure but it’s relational, too. Couples who engage together in exciting or challenging activities during time off report higher intimacy and satisfaction, both during these periods and in subsequent weeks when they return to their routines. Like vacations, siblings or friends can be closer than ever without the distractions of everyday life, too.
So, what’s holding us back? For many professionals, it’s the anxiety of not keeping up or disappointing others. But one executive, Steve, had learned the hard way that remaining “plugged in” on holiday can be burnout-central. “I came back to the same treadmill without recharging. My energy level just kept dropping with each missed vacation, and then I hit rock bottom,” he said in an interview about going from burnout to better.
Taking time off is the solution, but taking it the right way. Notify co-workers you won’t be working before you go on vacation, experts recommend, such as disabling email notifications and delegating work. Managers also play an important role in modeling good behavior and encouraging people on their teams to take their vacation days. His company eventually moved back to a traditional policy with a defined number of days, making sure employees understood they were entitled to take their breaks.
And here’s the upside: Vacations don’t need to be extravagant. You don’t have to fly away to a tropical island or take a luxury cruise. Just the act of taking even a small staycation can activate your DMN and offer you the mental reset you need. Take a long weekend, get off your devices, and let your mind roam. Or, if you feel adventurous, organize a nature walk research shows spending time in nature has numerous advantages, from decreasing stress levels to increasing creativity.
The bottom line? You have put in the time for those vacation days, and they are not just a claim to fame they are a must. Taking time off be it for the week-long getaway or “doing nothing” for a couple of hours is among the best tactics for recharging your brain, boosting your relationship with others and going into work with new insights. So go on, take your brain out for a walk you might return with your best idea to date.
