Vacation time boosts worker productivity.
Taking time away from work does not just improve productivity; it also improves a person’s health. Many studies show that people who take vacations are more positive and healthier. Americans take vacations, but are far behind people from other countries. Employees in the U.S. take an average of 13 vacation days a year. It may not seem to bad, but once compared to other countries, one can a noticeable difference. 34 days in Brazil, 37 paid days in France, 35 paid days in Germany, and 42 paid days off in Italy.
Research has shown that workers who don’t use their entire vacation annually begin to experience some serious side effects. Workers who are under extreme stress experience headaches, irritability, eyestrain, digestive disorders and panic attacks, all of which decrease productivity.
An article in the Journal of Occupational Health finds that vacationers from multiple countries, including the United States, report a better mood, more energy and an overall great feeling of bliss and contentment. These mental health benefits are not extensive, as many participants say the feelings fade within a few days of returning from vacation. However, the authors in the Journal say the beneficial feelings don’t have a long term positive impact on health.
Instead of thinking you can't afford to take a vacation, think you can't afford not to.
The common misconception among most people is that the more hours you put into work, the more you’ll accomplish. A study recently performed by the Organizational Psychology Program at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology proved how necessary breaks are for employees. Employees who work 10-12 hours per day are significantly less productive and efficient than employees who work 6-6.5 hours a day. The most successful executives, in high stress and high demand positions, take mini breaks throughout the day to grant their brains a breather. This is not to say those who work smaller amounts of time or take multiple breaks throughout the day are lazier than their counterparts, but that the human brain and mind become weary and less efficient while focusing for an extended period of time. To be extra resourceful, workers need to take time to gaze out the window, take a walk or even call a friend.
The University of Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center asked 1,399 participants already in other studies how frequently they did something they got pleasure from in the previous month, and those who performed more leisure activities had more positive emotions, lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and smaller waists.
Another study followed 1,200 men at risk for heart disease for nine years and documented the fluctuations in the participants’ health. The Framingham Heart Study established that those men who took additional vacations were healthier and lived longer than those who neglected to take time off.
Source: http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2009/09/12/studies-show-vacation-time-is-vital/