To Break or not Spring Break? That is the question...

It is that time of year again.  March Madness, taxes, spring flowers, and the beloved spring break.  As companies continue to downsize and ask people to do more with less, Americans are forgoing their vacations.  Americans took fewer vacations, with average total days off every year dropping from just over 20 days between 1978 and 2000 to about 16 days in recent years, according to research by Project Time Off.  There are still 54 percent of Americans who did not use all their paid vacation time last year, Time Off also found. The ~55 percent of under-vacationed Americans left a total 658 million vacation days unused. It is the biggest number Project Time Off has ever reported, far exceeding the previous estimate of 429 million unused days. Some companies like LinkedIn and Netflix are offering unlimited paid vacation policy, but 75% of Americans never take their full vacation. Why not?

There are endless studies that show the physical and psychological health benefits from taking time away from work. People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.  Most Europeans get a minimum of four weeks of vacation, and they use them all. They often take it all at once.  Does that ever happen on this side of the pond?  Why not?

Well…the majority of American workers feel guilty about taking a break from work. This is mostly because they are afraid of being left out of important decisions and events during their time off.  Many are also afraid of being fired. The workplace barriers to taking vacation reflect previous Project Time Off research, with fears that employees would return to a mountain of work (37%) and that no one else can do the job (30%) cited as the greatest challenges. The feeling that it is harder to take time off the higher up you get in a company also featured prominently (28%), followed by the idea that employees want to show complete dedication to their company and job (22%). 

It’s especially important to take all your vacation time if you have people reporting to you. Your employees will take their cue from you, and if you never take vacation time, they may not either. That’s bad for your workplace.

I edited a wonderful list from TakeBackYourTime.org on the top reasons why vacations matter (from Dr. Leigh Vinocur). Vacations are not a “nice-to-have”; they are a necessity for a well-balanced, healthy life as important as eating well and getting regular exercise. Here are some of Dr. Vinocur’s top reasons to make vacations a priority in your life:

Relieve Stress---Stress is a true physiological response originally meant to help us and keep us safe. It releases hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine for the fight or flight response that was necessary for early man. However, in modern society, chronic stress can be destructive to our bodies. Getting away for regular vacations and leaving our everyday stresses give us a break from the constant high levels of these hormones and a chance to repair some of the damage. Nothing beats the sound of the ocean or the ski slope or children laughing in the pool.

Help Prevent Heart Disease---Stress is one of the major contributors to heart disease and high blood pressure. Long-term studies in both men and women have shown that vacations can reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Men who vacationed regularly were more than 32% less likely to die from a heart attack. For women who vacation regularly, that figure jumps to 50% less likely to die from a heart attack. (2010 Framingham Heart Study)  If there is one statistic to make you understand the importance of time away – it is heart disease!

Help Maintain Focus---Studies find chronic stress can affect the part of the brain that inhibits goal-directed activities and causes problems with memory. Continuous work with no breaks or vacations can make people feel blocked and distracted, and have problems concentrating. Surveys show almost three-quarters of people who vacation regularly feel energized and more ready to tackle the tasks at hand. Seems counter intuitive, but research shows that healthy time away leads to more productive time at work.

Help Prevent Illness---There is a whole field of research called psychoneuroimmunology (say that word ten times fast) that finds stress and its adrenal dysfunction can alter your immune system and make you susceptible to numerous illnesses. It can increase your chance of getting infections like colds and the flu, as well as more serious conditions such as irritable bowel.  Some researchers even believe that long-term stress may partially contribute to cancer. A recent survey found that people who take regular vacations report being and feeling healthier.  

Make You Happier---Neuroscientists have found that brain structure can actually be altered by chronic exposure to stress hormones contributing to depression and anxiety. Research shows that women who do not take regular vacations were three times more likely to be depressed and anxious. This corroborates a survey that found people who take regular vacations reported feeling extremely happy with an overall feeling of well-being compared to those who did not vacation. And many reported these effects lasting beyond their actual vacation. We all have experienced that pre-vacation excitement and the post-vacation joy of reliving the memories with your friends and peers at work.

Strengthen Relationships---Vacationing with your family or loved ones help forge closer bonds. Studies have found women who take vacations with spouses report feeling more satisfied with their marriages. Research has also uncovered a correlation between children’s academic achievement and summer family vacations. These shared experiences promote family bonding, which is priceless. Family vacations create more memories than any other activity. In fact, other studies have found people place a higher value on the shared experiences they have on vacations than the material goods they have acquired during their lifetime.  Additionally, vacations can help to offset what I call “irritable spouse syndrome”.

Make You More Productive At Work---Contrary to what it may seem, studies show that more vacation time for workers actually increases company productivity, and has been found to decrease the number of sick days taken off. Liberal vacation policies create improved quality of life for employees, which translates into increased work quality. Workers also report feeling more creative after taking time off, and more than 70% of them reported feeling more satisfied with their jobs when they took regular vacations. 

Improve Your Sleep Quality ---Studies have shown that people who take vacations and travel regularly reported an almost 20% improvement in their sleep. While on vacation, they averaged an hour more of quality sleep, which even carried over to when they returned home.  We often undervalue our sleep.

Help You Get Thinner---A majority of overweight individuals admit to mindless eating as a response to stress. Stress hormones such as cortisol are linked to increased belly fat and weight gain, which is linked to heart disease. Studies have shown that even when indulging a little more on vacation, people who regularly vacation feel more energized and are often more active on vacation. They were also found to have improved glucose levels and even had some weight loss around their waists.  So based on this finding I will be taking a 9 month vacation and will report back on my weight loss (haha).

Real workplace change depends on our managers. To workers, the boss is the most powerful influencer when it comes to taking time off, even slightly more influential than the employee’s family (24% put the boss as number one, 23% said family). In fact,  80 percent of employees said if they felt fully supported and encouraged by their boss, they would be likely to take more time off (Project Time Off).  Unfortunately, many employees are not feeling that support. Nearly six in ten (58%) employees report a lack of support from their boss and, perhaps more surprisingly, more than half (53%) sense a lack of support from their colleagues. There is a direct correlation between employees who feel strong support from their bosses and colleagues and employee engagement. The more support an employee feels, the more likely they are to report higher levels of happiness.

If we created a Dave-ologies list to Take Back Your Time, it would start with one simple step, that I know we can all do. 

Plan---The single-most important step workers can take is to plan their time off in advance. Yet less than half (49%) of households set aside time to plan the use of their vacation time each year. Planning also extends to how American workers take their time off. There is no “right” way to use vacation time; however, setting boundaries for how connected they choose to be can help facilitate more effective time off. I like to plan a few vacations every year (well in advance so I can work around important Board meetings or Company events).  I also try to use early mornings before my family is ready to roll or late at night when they are winding down to stay connected for urgent matters at work.  Some of you may choose to totally disconnect, which is fine, but for me spending a bit of time each day checking in allows me to enjoy my vacation.  And to be truthful, there are days when I do not check in at all.  Each of us need to find what works for us. 

There is no slowing down technological advancement. The workplace will always be at our fingertips. While technology has improved life immeasurably, it has also created the condition that requires us to take an active role in creating personal time. Vacation time will not happen without dedicated thought and planning.  And remember, last but not least, that taking vacations can keep you young, healthy and relaxed! So, the next time you are asked the question “To break or not spring break”, I hope you have a great answer.

Together.  We. Win.

Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

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