September 7, 2023 English / Job Seeker Guide 7 Ways to Value Vacation Time Posted by Anisa Aznan A lot of people at work are bad at taking vacation. The Pew Research Centre recently found that 46% of U.S. workers who get paid time off from their company don’t take as much time as they are given. The reasons for this may vary. A Pew Research Centre study found that one of the most common reasons is the fear of falling behind at work if they take more time off. This is why tax, accounting, and legal workers will give. Others may think about how it will affect their chances of getting ahead or how it will affect their coworkers. Even though taking a break feels like a treat, it shouldn’t be. There’s a sensible reason to take a break: if you’re tired, you can’t serve your clients as well as you could. Here are 7 ways to make the most of your vacation time: 1. Plan to chill out For some, just making a vacation reservation can be a big step. So what? When you plan your trip or holiday, you should make a small plan for when you get back so that everything doesn’t happen at once. When you return to the office, you can make a short list of things to do. So, those things you still need to do won’t be at the top of my mind while you’re away. You may have a lot of meetings to make up for the time you spend away. But these meetings should be set up for much later. When you return, you should get organized and catch up on what you missed before starting a new set of meetings. Setting up these meetings a few days (or weeks) after you return to work will help you get back into the swing of things. ALSO READ: 4 Ways to Focus at Work 2. Draw the lines Setting rules should also be a part of your plan. Before you go on holiday, think about whether or not you want people to be able to reach you. We all know that the goal is to get away totally, but in reality, many of us may say “yes” to this question. When you are away, you can use auto-replies. You may feel bad when you use auto-replies, but using them well can be a good idea. Telling clients and coworkers when you’re on vacation can help ease some of the stress that comes with feeling like you always need to check your email. Voice mail works the same way. Letting people know when you’re free is like a store putting up their hours. It’s good advertising and lets people know when they can expect to do business with you. If you can’t escape your phone, try chunking or blocking your time. When you need to return client calls, try to plan them all simultaneously so that your day doesn’t just get interrupted. You can do the same thing with emails that aren’t emergencies. Mark low-priority emails so you can answer them all at once or within an hour. It can also help if you have to work while on holiday. Scheduling time to work and sticking to it can make you feel better about having more time to relax later in the day. 3. Get rid of things that distract you. Getting rid of things that aren’t important can help. That means turning off your phone’s alerts. You can turn them back on when you get back. And if you have work apps like Slack, delete them briefly. You don’t need to know what everyone is worried about right now. So what about social media? While you’re on vacation, you shouldn’t look at social media. It’s too easy to get caught up in what’s happening elsewhere and lose track of what’s happening right before you. Those who feel like they’re always doing something can find it hard to relax. Vacation is a great time to practice not putting anything on your calendar, like trips or events. People who overschedule tend to do the same things on vacation, but not every minute of the day needs to be filled. Many of us find it hard to do nothing: try not making plans for an hour or more every day you’re not at work. Don’t do anything with that time; wait and see. 4. Give it your all If you can’t say no to work, think of ways to make time without feeling like you’re working. That could mean working on your career by reading articles you’ve been putting off or watching a class you’ve been putting off. Even though it wasn’t completely relaxing, it helped you get some things done and feel like you got something done while still giving you time to spend with your family. Even though it’s best to relax as much as possible on vacation, it’s good to know that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You have to see what you can’t do and plan for that. 5. Getting Back To Work Suppose you do take the time to relax. What should you do after that? Going back to work after a holiday is one of the worst parts. You always think about what you have to do when you get back. You want everything to be finished as soon as possible. When you return to work right away, you ruin any time you just spent relaxing. It would be best if you eased back into your regular routine. When you return, you should list everything you think you need to do, but it doesn’t have to be in order. Just writing down everything you need to do can be a release. Write everything down and then start making plans for what to do next. And remember those meetings you put off by setting them a few days or weeks away? That helps because it gives you time to take a breath. Instead of running to meetings, you can go through your mail and take care of anything that needs to be done so that you’re ready to get back on track. 6. Prepare throughout the year Some things we do at work are just routines that don’t show how well we use our time. Thinking about how you can better organize your work plan can make all the difference. For instance, you don’t have to be at work all the time just because that’s what people expect of you. Ask yourself, “Am I just working for the sake of working, or am I actually getting things done?” Take a short break if you find it hard to leave the office. This can be done by working fewer hours when business isn’t as busy. When you work in an industry with deadlines, like tax, accounting, or law, you usually know when you’ll be busy. If you know you’ll be working nonstop in March but might have a break in November, plan your hours accordingly. If your job doesn’t change with the seasons, it may change from day to day. Pay attention to how your work changes during the week and consider ways to take a break. Try things like taking a full hour for lunch. It’s one way to take a break from your day without losing too much time. 7. Start planning now Don’t give up if you haven’t taken time for yourself yet, no matter why. Start thinking about your next trip now. Make a vacation plan and stop feeling guilty about it. Paid time off and vacation time aren’t just suggestions. Most full-time jobs give you paid time off and vacation time every year. This is written into your work description or summary. Part of your job is to take a break. Find your dream job on Jobstore.com, download our free mobile app today. Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives. Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.
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