I confess — I’ve been a workaholic for almost all of my adulthood. Skipping vacation has been too easy. As a business owner, I don’t get regular “vacation time”; if I want a vacation, I have to take it. However, I’ve learned that, if I don’t plan a vacation, the weeks, months, and years pass by faster and faster, and, suddenly, I look back and realize: Crap, I haven’t taken a vacation in four years!
For business owners and professionals, skipping vacation is often caused by an enormous sense of duty and responsibility. When there is so much to oversee, who has time to vacation? Tesla CEO Elon Musk articulated this pressure when he said, “I don’t believe people should be experiencing hardship while the CEO is, like, off on vacation.” In fact, Musk, having contracted malaria on one rare escape to South Africa, is so averse to vacations that his biographer, Ashlee Vance, quoted him as saying, “Vacation will kill you.” In most cases, however, the opposite is true.
Skipping vacations can kill you
In one particularly sobering study, men aged 35-57 who were at risk for heart disease and didn’t take a week-long vacation every year were about 30% more likely to die of heart disease.
Similarly, studies have shown that the opposite of vacation — overwork — leads to health problems. Linking long working hours to heart disease and stroke, researchers in 2015 found that people who work more than 55 hours a week are 33% more likely to suffer a stroke and have a 13% greater risk of heart attack than those who work 35-40 hours weekly.
Vacations renew and revitalize
In the rare event when I do take a vacation — a proper vacation, with a digital detox, that is, without reviewing client emails or legal documents — something amazing happens: I come back refreshed, relaxed, and revitalized. I feel renewed and my creativity increases.
I’m not alone. Experts agree that vacations improve our mental health by reducing depression and reduce stress. One Canadian study of over 800 lawyers found vacations reduced depression and buffered against job stress. Even a short vacation can reduce stress. A small Japanese study concluded that a mere three-day leisure trip reduced stress, decreased levels of cortisol, and generated feelings of fulfillment.
Another benefit I recognized upon returning from a vacation is increased productivity. This anecdote is also backed by science. After one study, the Boston Consulting Group found that professionals who were required to take time off were significantly more productive than those who spent more time working.
Can’t travel? You can still vacation!
In 2020, especially, skipping vacations has become normalcy for everyone, it seems. Travel bans abound, and, even if we have the ability to travel, most of us would prefer to stay home for the sake of safety. But the inability to travel does not mean you cannot have a vacation; you can still experience valuable relaxation with a staycation, nature excursion, or short-term house rental.
Various ways exist to unplug and disconnect exist without getting on an airplane. Even a three-day excursion can do the mind good. Camping, for example, allows for social distancing and a change of scenery while experiencing nature. Many people have had lovely vacations in nearby cities or towns by renting beach houses or cabins from Airbnb or VRBO. Another option is to explore our National Parks. AFAR Magazine put together a list of 40 ways to take a socially distanced trip, and it is far from extensive. So there are plenty of options.
What are you waiting for? Start planning!
To avoid the stress of poorly planned vacations, consider planning at least a month ahead. If you plan out the details as opposed to playing them by ear on the trip, you are more likely to experience a better vacation and more positive outcome. Planning ahead also adds the benefit of giving you something to look forward to.
After spending more than a year without a vacation, I’ve begun to plan my next one. It will probably be a mini-vacation of only a few days, but taking those few days will be an investment in my health and creativity.
