Why it's smart to take enough vacation days
Are you worried that you are taking too many days off? There is no need to be. There is no reason to skip a vacation because it would be good for your career. Below we will tell you why going on vacation is healthy for you and your career.
Going on holiday is healthy
In theory, never taking time off would be the best thing for your career. It makes sense to spend more time on your work if you want to get the most out of it. Isn’t it for a reason that the biggest CEOs are real workaholics? Yes and no. In an ideal world – and if you want it to be – you could spend all your time on your work and not miss out on anything. In practice, however, it turns out that you have to sacrifice something for this: your health. For example, scientists have shown that the chance of dying earlier is greater for people who take few vacation days.
Weekends alone are not enough
Your health should always be a priority over your career. Even though never taking a vacation would be good for your career, it should not be at the expense of your well-being and health. And we are not talking about keeping Saturdays and Sundays free, but an annual vacation. Research shows that taking days off only really has health benefits if you take more than just the weekends off. The main thing is that your working days are interrupted every now and then, otherwise the risk of cardiovascular disease would be increased.
Going on vacation makes you more successful
Think you can sacrifice some health benefits for your career? Then you should know that taking time off is not only important for your health, but also for your performance at work. If you are healthy and feel good about yourself, you are more likely to have more energy when you go to work, be more motivated, and have better relationships with your coworkers. These things are crucial to your career, so make sure you balance work and play.
How often should you take time off?
People who take few days off are often afraid that their colleagues will judge them. What if people think you take too much time off? If you recognize yourself in this, it is good to know that it is very normal to go on holiday for a few weeks a year. Especially in the Netherlands, because we take an average of about 25 days of holiday per year.
Free time is definitely not an unnecessary luxury. It is important for your performance at work and your health. However, that does not mean that you necessarily have to travel to Greece for a few weeks. Staying home for a few weeks is also sufficient. You do not have to feel bad about it, because we all need rest. If you want to successfully complete your career path, you can avoid looking forward to the weekend on Tuesday and dreading Monday on Friday. You can do this by at least finding a job that you enjoy, but also by taking enough vacation days.