How Taking a Vacation Boosts Workplace Efficiency

Written By: Julie Fisher

Are you one of those people who leaves your vacation days unused? Statistically, 55% of Americans leave some (or all!) vacation days on the table. We get it: you’re a busy professional who doesn’t have time to take a few days off, worrying that your work will suffer. Well think again, because studies have shown that a brief vacation is a great productivity booster. Especially an active vacation can be just what you need to return to your job recharged, with increased efficiency, and ready to do your best work. 

The US is an anomaly among OECD countries in that there is no national standard for required vacation days. Many European countries are famous for their attitude toward work-life balance, most mandating about four weeks of paid vacation per year. When compared to the US average, this may translate into fewer days worked; however, productivity in terms of GDP per hour worked is higher than that of the US in most cases.

 How many times have you felt like you’re not getting much done at work- just wasting time or waiting for the weekend? If you plan ahead for, and take a vacation, it forces you to be more efficient in your work. You’ll get the same amount done, but you will do it in a smaller time frame. A task is like a liquid. It fills the container (in this case, the time frame) that is given. Procrastination thrives on far-off deadlines. This mindset of having a “smaller container” of time to fit your task into helps train your mind to be more organized, focused, and efficient. You’ll be more motivated to move faster and get more done in your work day.

 It must be noted that if you plan your trip far enough ahead so that the preparation process itself doesn’t stress you out, these immediate benefits of taking a vacation can be seen for many weeks after you return. One great way to make sure that you leave the stress behind is to go on an organized group trip where every detail is already taken care of. Many operators, especially those like Fit 4 Adventure, are perfect for those driven professionals who don’t want to waste their precious few free hours trying to plan the perfect itinerary. So, get out there and use those hard-earned days off! You’ll get inspired, stave off burnout, and transform your mindset about what you can achieve daily.