Have you taken a vacation yet this year?
If yes, did you come back rested and recharged for work?
If no, then you are not alone.
Each year Expedia.com has conducted a survey comparing vacation habits in the United States with those of other countries. The overall finding is that Americans not only take fewer vacation days, but even with breaks they have a hard time unwinding and relaxing.
- Only 53% of Americans say they return rested and invigorated after a vacation
- 30% have problems dealing with work stress while they are away
This is not surprising when you consider how much of your life is tied up with multitasking and speed. When you bounce from one activity to another, you are less productive. Because you are less productive, you have to try even harder to keep up, which leads to more multitasking. All of this creates a steady pumping of adrenaline.
You have trouble quitting cold turkey in switching to a leisure style. You’ve become addicted to this pace, and that can lead to an inability to truly relax, with the results that:
- You pack so much in a break that you are even more tired after a trip.
- You continue to work throughout the vacation time. Colleagues and clients may not even know that you are out of town.
None of this is a prescription for productivity. If you want to be as productive as possible, you should be:
- Limiting multitasking throughout the day with good systems, instead of pumping adrenaline and creating stress on your body
- Using your time management skills to schedule true vacations for unwinding and recharging
