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Days off are needed
Theresa Seraphim g
Spotlight
A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. ~Robert Orben
The August 4 civic holiday is almost here, and many people will have the day off. Actually, many people will have more than that off, as they take their annual holidays.
As well they should. Countless studies have shown that all work and no play makes a person not only dull, but stressed out. There is nothing like sitting on a beach with a good book and toes curled in the sand, for helping get rid of the tension.
But it is important that those on holidays truly leave their work behind. Getting away from it all is great, but not if a person is accompanied by a Blackberry, laptop or office cell phone.
Vacations are a time for rest and renewal, for new sights and experiences – not for worrying about what’s happening at the office.
According to about.com, the benefits of vacations include promoting creativity, staving off burnout, keeping a person healthy, strengthening bonds, and helping with job performance.
“A good vacation can help us to reconnect with ourselves, operating as a vehicle for self-discovery and helping us get back to feeling our best,” the article notes.
“The bottom line is that taking a good amount of time away from the stresses of daily life can give us the break we need so that we can return to our lives refreshed and better equipped to handle whatever comes.”
While there’s nothing wrong with vacationing with others, the Professor’s House Web site makes a couple of interesting points about being alone on holiday.
“It may sound contradictory but solitude can restore our faith in humanity…Taking a vacation in a remote island where you can enjoy your own company can make you reflect about how fortunate you are to be in the company of friends and strangers day in and day out… but you need to get away from them to appreciate that!”
Those choosing not to go on a holiday – and yes, it is a choice – deprive themselves of those necessary pleasures. Who is worth more to a company – the person who grinds away and ends up with ulcers, or the one who gets away and comes back with more energy for doing the job?
For those unable to get away, for whatever reason, the important thing is to take mini-holidays whenever possible by setting aside time for fun things –just time to get into something you like (not have to do), be it a book, a game, a visit somewhere, or whatever.
The time for these needn’t be long, or cost much (if anything). It’s the change of pace, and the enjoyment, that’s key.
Days like civic holidays are perfect opportunities for these mini-vacations and, with summer slipping by, it’s good to take advantage of them. Hit the links or the beach, sit by the lake and read, or head to the city to see friends and family and do some shopping – whatever helps the recharging process.
This will ensure that the first day back on the job, you walk up ready to go and looking forward to the joys and challenges that await.
Happy civic holiday!
Ivern Ball: “A family vacation is one where you arrive with five bags, four kids and seven I-thought-you- packed-its.”
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