10 Signs You Need a Vacation. Know its Importance & Benefits.

You’ve just come back from a long-winding day at work, you’re watching TV – the usual. Suddenly, you see an advertisement for a vacation spot, perhaps it’s a beach, perhaps it’s a luxurious hotel room. And you think, “Wouldn’t that be nice?” You let the possibility of a nice, relaxing vacation linger for a while until as usual, you’re jerked back to what’s always on your mind – your work.

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Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Most Indians these days are loaded with work and don’t have the time to take a vacation. It’s all work, work and more work. But, we are here to tell you that that’s not helping anyone. In fact, the more you obsess about work, the more your productivity drops. Read on to find out why you’ve only been hurting your work by not taking that vacation you’ve needed for a while:

10 Signs You Need to Take a Vacation from Work

1. You’re easily irritable

When you’re emotionally overwhelmed, it’s one of the most visible signs that you’re stressed. People in the pre-depression stage are easily triggered by their surroundings. Even if it is due to a little issue. You may have become irritated due to a tiny error made by a coworker or worked up over tasks that aren’t really important.

2. You’re always exhausted

If you used to be a motivated and committed person and now spend most of your time tired, you’ve started to lose interest in what you were doing and wish for the weekend to arrive sooner. Monday has become a nightmare for you, and weekends seem to be flying by. Although being exhausted most of the time might signify a health condition, it could also suggest that you need a rest.

3. You have trouble sleeping

One of the signs of stress is difficulty sleeping at night and waking up in the morning. When you’re overworked or have too many tasks on your plate, your mind will be filled with anxiety and worry. It’s an indication that you’re putting too much focus on your work at the expense of other things.

4. You frequently make mistakes

Making a mistake is fairly common since it is in our nature to do so. However, if you see that you’re making more mistakes than normal, it might be an indication that you need to take a break. A brief break is strongly suggested for a healthy mental and physical state. Some successful entrepreneurs have also stated that they save their weekends for “me time” when no one can bother them. They claimed that it is an excellent way to prepare for the start of the new week.

5. You find it hard to laugh

Another indicator that you need to take a break is if you are not laughing as easily as you were previously. You used to be a happy person, but now you realise that you’re overly serious. You have a tougher time finding humor in any situation.

6. Work is all that’s on your mind

If you find yourself thinking about work for the entirety of your spare time, it may be time to take a vacation to reset your body and mind. At this stage, you’ll find yourself daydreaming at work and even discussing work with coworkers over lunch. This may be a perfect moment to schedule a trip!

7. You don’t have the energy to help anyone.

When a coworker asks you to do a favour for them, you will decline since you don’t have the energy to do so.   If you find yourself resenting your employer, coworkers, and your job in general, you’re probably burned out. The worst part is that you’re too exhausted to do anything even for the people you care about. It’s time to buy a plane ticket and refresh your body and mind!

8. You find it hard to stay focussed for a long time

You’re having trouble staying focused at work and find yourself procrastinating by searching up vacations, checking in with pals on social media, or playing a quick game on your smartphone. These are indications that you’re tired of your job and should start planning a vacation! A short vacation or break may improve your attitude and productivity, as well as your attention at work. 

9. Your health is deteriorating

If you’ve lately had sleep issues, weight loss or gain, or a headache, it might be an indication that you’re overworked and need to relax. You may dismiss it at first, but if the stress continues, it might cause serious health problems. Take a few days off and you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel once you’ve gotten back on track with your sleep schedule.

10. Family-time is in the past

Quality time with family isn’t the quick meal or breakfast at home before heading to work. When you hang out with them somewhere or go out to dinner, you are truly spending quality time with them. If you can’t remember the last time you spent quality time with them, it’s because you’ve buried yourself in your work. It would be wonderful to take a brief break to reconnect with your family. Remember, having a lot of money is useless if they’re not there!

Importance of a Vacation

It is important to take a vacation from work, because it gives you the time and space to relax. It also gives you more energy to do your job better. When you are working hard all week long, sometimes taking a break can be very refreshing. Also, when you are at work every day of the week, it can get boring and repetitive at times. So taking a vacation from work will give your mind something else to focus on besides just doing your job everyday.

Benefits of a Vacation

1. Reclaim Your Lost (W)Health

Trying to get rid of a persistent cold? Notice that you’ve been having a lot of recurring bouts of fatigue? It’s no coincidence; stress affects your immune system. Now you know why your cold keeps showing up every Monday. It’s not the Monday blues, it’s that you’re pushing yourself too hard and running away from a much-needed break. While there is a lot of work that needs doing, it’s not happening with a heavy head. So stop and take a break. Just relax, and you’ll see how much better you work once you’ve had the time to take a much-needed break.

2. Reclaim Your Positivity

Even if you’re working at your dream job – doing what you’ve always pictured yourself doing – there’s going to come a time when you hit a wall. You keep getting frustrated at work, you’re not doing as well as you used to, and it’s stressing you out. If any of this sounds familiar to you, you are in dire need of a vacation. It’s not that your work has suddenly gotten not-so-fun, it’s just that you need some time away from it. Take a break from work and spend time doing the other things you love like visiting a beach or trying out some new cuisines. Trust us, when you get back to work, you’ll find yourself with a renewed vigour and a more positive outlook towards your job.

3. Reconnect with Your Loved Ones

While you spend day in and day out at work, do you ever stop to think about why you’re doing this? Whom are you working so hard for? It’s for you, of course! You and your family! Having realised that, how much time do you really spend with your family, let alone yourself? If you only keep working, you’re never going to get a chance to reap the benefits of your hard work. So, take a break and plan a vacation with your family. The vacation will give you a chance to reconnect with yourself and your loved ones and contribute immensely to your happiness.

4. Rediscover Your Creativity

Here’s a fact, your job is just a part of your world. It’s not everything. There are zillions of other things on the planet. When are you going to look at them? If you continue to live your life only around your work, you won’t give your mind a chance to broaden its horizons. So, take a vacation, walk around, travel, and meet new people. The more you explore, the more your mind opens up to newer possibilities. This fuels your creativity, and helps you go back to work with so much more to contribute than before! Remind us again why you thought vacations wouldn’t be good for your work-life?

5. Reclaim Your Rest

80% of people in our country feel sleepy at work. No, this is not a statistic talking about people bored at work, it’s talking about people who are tired at work. The amount of time you spend working and the consequent increase in screen time affect your sleep schedule. Most working professionals today function on a maximum of six hours of sleep. This is neither good for your overall health, nor is it good for your career. All it does is make you cranky and frustrated at work, thus, compromising your productivity. So, instead of going through work half-heartedly, why not take a vacation to catch up with your sleep? This way you can come back to work well-rested and be much more productive.

We understand that vacation guilt is real. We all suffer from it from time to time. We are responsible for certain tasks at work and need to make sure they are getting done. That said, if you plan your vacation well, you can make sure that your work is in place before you leave for a vacation. Everyone needs a break, and everyone feels guilty about taking one. But, it is important you realise that in a way, you are taking these breaks for your job. At the risk of sounding very cliche, we must reiterate that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And nobody wants a dull boy working for them. So, don’t shy away from your need to take a break; embrace it knowing that it will only help you come back stronger.

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