Vacation is an investment
You can spend your time off however you wish. (Cloyne & District Historical Society)
It’s difficult for many of us to make behavior changes that will benefit us in the long term.
From sticking to an exercise routine to keeping a healthy diet to saving money, we must prioritize the future ahead of our immediate circumstances in order to follow through. This can be very uncomfortable and unnatural, but the payoff becomes evident down the line.
After awhile, we’ve built a new habit and gotten used to this cycle. We learn to associate eating healthy food with feeling good. We come to enjoy the feeling of virtue that comes with following our budget or our exercise plan.
People do this with work, too. They begin to crave the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing tasks and doing well. They stay late (or stay up late) to chase that high, even if it ends up costing them physically, relationally, and emotionally.
That’s when we have to have the self-discipline to take time off.
Over and over, I’ve learned that challenging myself to try to complete a work project on the weekend results in misery on Monday. And spending a holiday week “catching up” while everyone else is away will lead to a lot of wheel-spinning.
On the other hand, when I take the time, whether a weekend or a week, to focus on rest, relaxation, or fun — hobbies, sports, travel, friends, family — I return to my work refreshed and recharged. Not only do I feel better, I am rewarded with new perspectives, new ideas, and new solutions to long-standing problems.
Just as eating lots of vegetables and minimal sugar will create noticeable benefits over time, a holiday or vacation will carry an impact beyond the days away. Rest and relaxation is an investment in your well-being and future success.
Because of this, my team and I do not assign homework to our students over the weekend. Our teaching and admin teams don’t check email after they leave for the day, and they are to go completely offline when they take a vacation. Not only does this allow me to win easy points as a kind, benevolent leader, it makes good business sense: We are all vastly more productive and effective when we have enough rest and a nice life.
I do have a tendency to center my life on work, and these past few months of sheltering at home have been a challenge. After all, if I can’t travel somewhere warm or see my family, what’s the point in taking time off? But even just a few hours away from my desk reminds me that vacation is not just about doing something fun — it’s also a time of not doing.
So I take holidays (and mini-holidays) where I can, staying away long enough to remember that my productivity has nothing to do with my worth as a person.
It’s hard right now. Projects are on hold, savings are being drained day by day, and many of the investments we’ve made in our careers and livelihoods are all but worthless. For small business owners like me, the impulse to hustle is very strong: What can I create, what innovation can I come up with, that can mitigate some of this loss?
We’ve been working harder than usual to find solutions and make miracles happen. And that’s all the more reason that we need to let it all go, at least for awhile. It’s counterintuitive that ceasing all activity can help us move forward, but that’s what it takes. So if you are tired, stuck, bored, burnt out, disillusioned or disengaged, I encourage you to take as much time away as you can. At the very least, have a nice meal and a nice sleep. Your future self will thank you.