Everyone needs time off or a vacation; in other words, just to get some time away from work and worries. However, many employees, and especially managers, ignore this and proudly demonstrate their ability to work tirelessly until they drop. If they have some days off, then their mobile phone, laptop or tablet remains their working companion at hand. Is it possible to relax effectively? Like the Management Issues website that addresses this topic, we do not think so. Find out why...
You have surely already read several studies on how our health, mood or energy is closely related to time off. Some even claim that work stress comes back within a week after returning from vacation. Yay! Activities outside our normal workload should, above all, bring us relief and balance. However, this does not mean that you have to plan twenty activities and run from one place to another during your weeklong vacation. How can your body distinguish between hard work from rest, if you are still carrying the same load?
In addition, stress impacts the quality of your work and narrows your view of the situation. You, as the person responsible for the work of the whole team, have to see things from a wider perspective. Even if you go on holiday, your body usually needs some time before it can get rid of the stress from work and switches from work mode to "off" mode. A rest helps many people to think creatively and so the best ideas actually often come in their spare time.
Assume a zen position. Ideally, take a vacation longer than one week. The first week your body and soul are confronted with a sudden change in the regime, and in the next week you start to relax. Plan your leisure activities evenly and at a slower pace than your normal workload. If you set auto-reply messages, then do not deal with e-mails. Do not worry, if something flares up, there are still phones.
What benefits does a vacation have for leaders and their teams? Managers can build a strong bond with their team thanks to a separation, which left the team responsible for itself. A capable and independent team is obviously what you want, right? So take a vacation.
-bn-