Our boss hasn't taken a real vacation in all the time I've known him and that is over 25 years! Oh he'll take a day, maybe three, but that is it- -ever! We constantly wonder how he does it. He is undeniably a workaholic, and without question an indispensable person in this building. Very little gets done without him, but I still wish he'd give himself a break once-in-a-while. Especially after I read this article.

Statistics show that most employees only use about half of their vacation time each year. Not me, I attempt to use every minute! And I love my job, but time away for me is time needed to rejuvenate, de-stress and simply get some quality sleep, which seems to be impossible in daily life.

Now a new study indicates that taking a vacation could actually save your life, especially if you are at risk for certain health issues or diseases. This nine year study followed 12,000 men at risk from heart disease and found that the more frequently they took vacations, the longer they lived.

If you're still hesitant about booking that getaway, there are things you can do to make it stress-free (if planning a vacation stresses you, that is).

  • Before vacation: Remind people you'll be gone so they aren't surprised. Make sure you're not leaving at a time when a new project is being launched. Organize your desk, (this will never work for me), catch up on phone calls and emails, so you have less to do when you get back.
  • During vacation: Some people in high stress jobs develop something called "leisure sickness" when they quit everything "cold turkey". Apparently this syndrome can present itself with a headache, even a migraine, followed by cold or flu-like symptoms. So perhaps easing yourself into doing nothing should be a bit more gradual. And if need be, stay somewhat connected through emails, but set limits, remember you're supposed to be relaxing
  • After vacation: Ease yourself back in, find out what you may have missed out on. Maybe have a business lunch with colleagues and then in a bit you'll be back to full speed and ready to rev it up.

(Source-The Cheat Sheet)

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