I use to work with a gal who would carry over vacation days from one year to the next, year after year after year. She accrued months of vacation time. I can’t remember the exact amount of hours she collected, but it was some ridiculous number. Then, one day in late September, the TV station we worked at was bought by another company and the new owners instituted a use it or lose it vacation policy. Long story short, my colleague had until the end of December to use up the vacation accrued during her tenure with the former owners and we were no longer able to carry over vacation time. In the end she ended up losing more than 9 weeks of vacation.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Not the part about the loss of vacation time, but the difficulty of tearing yourself away from work for more than just a long weekend? If you go to the beach do you have to bring along your laptop and your BlackBerry? Do you refuse to travel to places that hinder your cellphone reception? If so, you are likely beyond denying that you are a workaholic and now simply try to get others to join your ranks rather than bother to explain why you do what you do.
TAKE THE VACATION ALREADY!
Perhaps it would help if you knew studies show that a little R&R is not only good for your peace of mind, but for your overall health as well. Yes, there is medical evidence that proves vacations are actually good for your health.
Research show that those who tend to skimp on time away from the daily grind suffer from higher levels of stress. Subsequently, workers with chronic stress tend to produce more fight and flight hormones in their body, like cortisol and epinephrine, which can raise blood pressure and put extra strain on their heart. What’s more, stress puts a person at greater risk for obesity, depression, stomach ailments, and it also compromises the immune system, which puts one at risk for more infections.
Doctors say the best way to handle excessive stress is to remove yourself from the environment which causes you the most anxiety. Several studies suggest that people who take vacations on a regular basis have lower rates of stress and therefore are at lower risk for health problems.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM LEISURE SICKNESS?
Granted, if you are a workaholic the idea of taking an extended break from your hectic schedule can be daunting. In fact, doctors say some workaholics actually suffer from something called “leisure sickness.” That’s when workers develop symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, muscle pains, and stomach upset while on vacation. One study showed a leading cause of death on vacation is heart attack. Doctors say the risk is very, very small, but if you are finally planning to take a vacation you may want to get examined by a physician before you jet off on your trip.
For all of you workaholics who are employed by companies that do not allow you to carry over vacation time from year to year, you have roughly 4 months to use it or lose it. With that said may I suggest you peruse the following travel articles, which detail popular destinations and offer travel tips and some outstanding travel deals:
Everything You Need To Know About Hawaii
Everything You Need To Know About New York
Everything You Need To Know About Other Popular Travel Destinations