The Truth About Vacations and Getting Recharged

You have said it and so have I, “Boy, could I use a vacation right now.”

We know that taking time away from work is vital to health, well-being, and performance. But many people do not even use their paid vacation days or their regular days off. I confess a love/hate relationship with vacations. There have been times when I really have wondered if they are worth it. You work extra to get ready for the time off and then when you get back you must work extra to get caught up. If that sounds familiar that is an often-used explanation of the nearly half of Americans who do not use all their paid vacations!

In this blog we will explore some of the myths around vacations and how to best recharge yourself so that you can be your best as a leader.

First, some signs you need a vacation:

Mental & Emotional Signs:

You constantly feel overwhelmed or you are unusually irritable or short-tempered. The latter is when my wife says, “It’s time for you to take some time off!” You are struggling with a lack of motivation or you are making mistakes or having trouble focusing more than usual.

Physical Signs:

Stress often shows up in your body as trouble sleeping, headaches or muscle tension, you are getting sick more often or your appetite has changed. For years I would run myself at full speed until I got sick and would end up in bed unable to get up for a few days. Listen to your body and it will let you know when it is time for a break.

Work-Related Signs:

You are working longer but getting less done, you dread working every day and it is not just a “case of the Mondays.”  You cannot stop thinking about work even on your off-time or days off.

Lifestyle & Social Signs:

How I interact with others provides another sure sign that I need a vacation.

You find yourself withdrawing from people and/or avoiding social interactions. Everything feels like an obligation, a “got to” rather than a “get to” or you find yourself dreaming of quitting or planning your next vacation while at work.

If several of these resonate with you, it might be time to give yourself a break, but what kind and for how long?

One of the myths we carry is that a vacation is enough to recharge you for an extended period of time.

One of the myths we carry is that a vacation is enough to recharge you for an extended period of time. Most workers take one vacation in the summer for example. But imagine your dream vacation. You are on a beach with a cool drink in your hand. Or, you are looking at beautiful architecture in a foreign city. The stress of your job and everyday life have melted away. And now it is Monday and you’re back at work. Your dream vacation is over, and so is the lift you got from it.

Sabine Sonnetag is an organizational psychologist at the University of Mannheim in Germany, and she’s one of the world’s foremost experts on time off and recovery. Her research suggests that about two weeks after the end of a vacation people are again at the level of their wellbeing that  they were before the vacation. The time is even shorter, the more stressors they face when they get back.

Another myth says that longer vacations are better than short ones.

Another myth says that longer vacations are better than short ones. Sabine’s research has found that a two-week vacation gives no more benefit than a one-week vacation. It makes more sense to take two one-week vacations than a two-week vacation so you can double the short-term benefit (roughly two weeks per vacation). My experience has been after about five days of doing nothing (my name for a vacation) I start to get antsy. My blood pressure starts to rise and I am ready to get home and back to work. Just the thought of a two-week vacation stresses me out, but everyone is different.

Which brings me to the next thing to consider about how you recharge…what kind of vacation or time off is best?

In toxic cultures, time off is a reward earned by working to exhaustion. Burnout is proof of dedication, and vacations are required to recover. In healthy cultures, time off is a right granted to everyone. Well-being is a top priority, and vacations are encouraged to rejuvenate. The purpose of time off is to let your guard down, maybe try something new, but definitely do that which is energy-giving and not energy-draining.

Two Kinds of Recovery Techniques

Sabine’s research has found that people tend to get the best recovery from one of two kinds of time off. Relaxation is what many people think when they think of recovery, unwinding, maybe doing nothing. Just relaxing. And so, in terms of more physiological processes, it means a low sympathetic activation. So lower blood pressure, lower heart rate. My wife’s idea of a perfect vacation is to never get out of bed and sleep…the ultimate relaxation experience.

But that is not the only way to get recovered and recharged. The second kind of recovery activity is what Sabine calls a mastery experience. So that could be physical activities, physical exercise that is in most instances not immediately relaxing but activating. Activities that are challenging. So, for instance, learning a new language or having a hobby that really asks you to step outside your comfort zone. So, that can be experiences that are recovering as well.

We have all had that experience when you complete a fun challenge, you feel joyfully exhausted. Maybe you have felt this when doing a crossword puzzle or an art project or you ran that 5k or hiked to the top of a mountain. For much of my career these were the kind of vacations I preferred. I love the experience of having accomplished something, especially if it is something new. Part of the benefit of mastery activities is a sense of progress and confidence. But they also help us detach from work-related thoughts.

I suspect we all know people who tend to take one or the other of these two kinds of time off. I have friends who want to sit on the beach and do nothing, others who want to hike as long and far as they can. Some people want to be surrounded by people and lots of social interactions, others want to find a monastery that does not allow speaking. You get the idea.

One thing I have discovered is that the kind of time off I need often depends on what is going on leading up to the time off. I used to love backpacking and the physical challenge of “roughing it” but as I have aged “roughing it” looks more like taking coach rather than first class on my flight somewhere.

So how do you know whether to aim for relaxation or mastery?

Sabine’s advice is to go where the greatest need is. Do you need “down time” or do you feel the need to put an accomplishment under your belt? I have a friend who finds great energy in cooking a new recipe for a couple of friends and seeing how it turns out. Good or bad the developing a new skill is rejuvenating.

If we look in terms of outcomes, both relaxation and mastery have many overlapping consequences, but the most striking difference is that relaxation results more in positive, affected states that are calm, that are quiet, that are serene. Whereas mastery results in more activated positive states. So being excited, being alert, being active, and so on. And so therefore, in the evening it could sometimes be better to strive for relaxation because that should help us to sleep better. Whereas in the morning, if it is possible, it is better to do something that stimulates and that results in positive, effective states and not necessarily in calmness and serenity.

Is There Another Way to Recharge?

The last thing to consider is the frequency of your recovery/recharge times. The research clearly shows that vacations are, at best, a Band-Aid and not the answer to exhaustion and burnout in the workplace. I have used the analogy of a bucket of water with my staff over the years. Your work as a leader involves taking water out of the bucket and sharing it with someone else. If you fail to keep refilling the bucket there will be a time when you have nothing to offer to that thirsty person who comes to you.

The task of the leader is to find the ways to refill their bucket and build them into their lives hopefully on a daily basis.

The task of the leader is to find the ways to refill their bucket and build them into their lives hopefully on a daily basis. If you can build those times into your day you have made for yourself a mini vacation. Maybe you need to block out an hour or two several times a week for that purpose. At the very least you need to set aside one day a week. You can call it your day off or your Sabbath but whatever you call it you should guard it with your life because the quality of your life and work will depend upon it.

If we have these short bursts of vacation throughout the day, week, and year, you are always recharged and happy at work. It affects all your relationships. It is like a rocket trying to leave the earth’s atmosphere with those little boosters at different stages rather than just trying to create enough thrust and momentum to carry you for an extended period of time.

Well, I hope this helps you as you plan your next vacation and discover the best way for you to keep refreshed and recharged as a leader not just for a season but for a lifetime.