On the Hidden Benefits of Taking Time Off

1 Idea 🎯 

I still remember the first “vacation” I took after landing my first big boy job out of grad school.

It was no vacation at all.

I regularly monitored and replied to emails, followed up on my projects, and even dialed into a few meetings.

I thought that by sacrificing my time off, I was demonstrating just how much I cared about my career and my colleagues.

It’s clear now that my anti-vacation mindset was primarily driven by fear.

Fear that my projects would implode if I wasn’t there.

Fear that my colleagues would quietly resent me for adding more work to their plate.

Or, perhaps worst of all, fear that things would be just fine in my absence, leading everyone to re-evaluate whether I was really needed at all 😱

If you wrestle with when and how to take time off, you’re not alone. A Pew Research study found that 46% of employees fail to use all their vacation days. 

When asked why:

• 52% said they just don’t feel the need to take more time off

• 49% said they worried about falling behind on their work

• 43% said they felt guilty about their colleagues having to take on additional work in their absence

These are disheartening stats, considering the well-researched benefits of intentionally disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of our daily routines.

Taking time off provides space to recharge, reflect and create new neural pathways in our brains that help us be more creative and impactful when we return.

For example, how many times have you found yourself staring at an impossible problem at 6pm, only to come in the next morning and solve it immediately? Our brains need time to process and refresh, leading to more “a-ha” moments when we least expect them.

Taking time off is also a simple way to reinforce a high-trust culture by demonstrating to your colleagues that you have faith in their abilities. It’s a cultural red flag when no one feels they can truly disconnect.

Netflix has a famously simple vacation policy: “Take it.”

When asked how Netflix supports a culture where employees actually take vacation, Netflix’s co-founder Reed Hastings shared this advice:

“The amount of vacation people take is largely a reflection of what they see their boss and colleagues doing. If you want to encourage people to take vacation, start by getting all the leaders to take significant amounts of vacation and talk about it.”  

This summer, let’s all commit to taking the time we need to recharge and come back refreshed. Not just for our own well-being, but for the health and sustainability of our teams and our customers as well.

Plan that vacation, turn off the notifications, and enjoy your time off.

You’ve earned it.

Did this week’s topic resonate with you? Hit ‘reply’ and let me know!

Unless you’re on vacation, in which case, reply when you get back

See you next Wednesday,

Darin

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