The idea that a long, leisurely vacation is required to fully recover from the stress and demands of work is precisely the notion that prevents so many from taking time off. The idea of being out of the office for a week or more and the daunting task of making up missed work is more stressful than never leaving, according to an article on Ideas.Ted.com.
However, abstaining from taking time off can pose real physical and mental health risks. Two longitudinal studies cited in the article found men and women who took vacations infrequently were more likely to have heart attacks and higher mortality rates than those who took vacations more often. Furthermore, studies have shown workers who don't take vacations are at higher risk of burnout, which can lead to marriage and family problems, contribute to depression, poor health and higher rates of suicide. In healthcare, combating burnout is imperative for clinicians.
It's been established that vacations are important. But how can one maximize their time off for the most recovery?
For the past 20 years, sociologist Sabine Sonnentag, PhD, a professor of work and organizational psychology at the University of Konstanz in Germany, has focused her research around this question. She and her collaborators believe there are four major factors that enable people to truly recover during a vacation, according to the article.
1. Relaxation. Relaxation is straightforward. It involves engaging in activities that are pleasant and undemanding. These activities don't have to be totally passive, but they shouldn't require much effort.
2. Control. Control means having the ability to decide how to spend one's time, energy and attention. Individuals who have little control over their working and family lives often find that taking control of their time on breaks is restorative.
3. Mastery experiences. Mastery experiences are engaging and interesting activities that one does well. They are often challenging, which makes executing them even more satisfying. Engaging in mastery experiences regularly can help people be happier and find more meaning in their lives, but for those who have few mastery experiences in their jobs, having them on breaks is especially important.
4. Mental detachment from work. Although the idea of fully detaching one's thoughts from work could evoke even more stress than the work poses itself, learning to do so during time off can actually improve engagement and energy on the job upon one's return.