In general, workaholism is a part of our American culture. Despite the fact that we typically receive less vacation time than our peers in other countries, less than half of our fellow workers in a recent Pew Research Center report said they used all their paid time off. While 52% felt they “didn’t need” the full amount, 49% said they worried about falling behind at work. These are troubling findings, especially if you want your teams to present their best selves at work.
Numerous studies have found that vacations help employees improve focus and creativity while reducing stress, resulting in better on-the-job productivity and morale. As an employer, you are uniquely positioned to develop a culture where paid time off is valued and, importantly, utilized to its fullest extent. Here are just some of the benefits your employees will reap.
Vacations Cultivate Mindfulness
According to a 2018 study by researchers at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), a day of vacation can actually produce mindfulness benefits similar to 15 minutes of meditation. The reason? Vacations take us out of our well-honed routines and effectively compel our focus on the here and now.
For example, have you ever been so distracted during your daily commute that you don’t remember a portion of the trip? That zombie-like state — when you’re unconsciously going through motions — is the opposite of mindfulness and introduces risk.
By contrast, when you’re experiencing unfamiliar surroundings and different activities during a vacation, your senses are acutely attuned to what’s happening in the moment — absorbing all the sights, sounds, smells, flavors, and feelings as they occur. That’s vacation-related mindfulness.
An added bonus: ideally those joyful experiences will be logged into our memory banks for on-demand recall later, which also supports your long-term well-being.
Time Off Improves Physical Health
In addition, another study found that taking regular vacations can improve heart health by reducing the symptoms linked to metabolic syndrome, which include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and low “good” cholesterol.
“Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” said Bryce Hruska, a Syracuse University professor and study author. “If you have more of them, you are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This is important because we are actually seeing a reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease the more vacationing a person does.” Each additional vacation reduced the odds of having metabolic syndrome by almost 25%, the study found. Moreover, your employees don’t even have to travel to experience maximum benefits from their time off — staycations produced similar results.
Build a Culture that Encourages a Reset
Take a moment to share your plans and remind your team to get their time off scheduled. The work doesn’t stop; providing your team with permission to pause and reset will benefit your business outcomes. Don’t forget to provide the coverage they need so they can truly unplug and return refreshed with energy to re-engage with their best selves.
How SimplaFYI Can Help
That’s where SimplaFYI comes in. Through our vetted community of integrative care practitioners, your employees can create the ideal stay-at-home vacation. With massage therapists, health and meditation coaches, yoga and tai chi instructors, nutritionists, and more, the SimplaFYI community offers a unique opportunity to put together a series of personalized services replicating a spa-like experience — for a fraction of the cost.
Help your employees make the most of their well-deserved time off. Contact us to learn more.
This article was written by: Carol Swanson, a health & finance blogger. She can be reached at: ceswansoneditorialservices@gmail.com