Why You Should Take a Vacation

Taking time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life is important. While some may argue that vacations are a waste of time and detract from how efficient you could be in your business and profession, we think that scheduled time off is very valuable.

First off, vacations should be relaxing. If someone says, “I need a vacation from my vacation,” they are doing it wrong. Vacations should refresh and re-energize you. This doesn’t mean you can’t take trips that are fast-paced with full itineraries, but we don’t consider those real vacations. A true vacation should allow you to unwind and disconnect from the urgent, important tasks that occupy so much of your time.

What are the things that make you feel really good? A vacation should allow you to enjoy those things the most. Many times, these “enjoyable” things get placed lower on the list of priorities during regular working times, as so many tasks require attention and focus to complete. There needs to be a deliberate time when these things are made the priority, and everything else takes a back seat for a while.

You don’t even have to completely disconnect during a vacation. For most business owners, they probably can’t help but continue thinking about their business. The key is to have space where you aren’t overwhelmed with work. This might be a difficult balance to strike for some people, so err on the conservative side while on vacation: The least amount of time possible should be spent on business-related tasks—just enough that nothing is “piling up” while you’re away.

Vacations don’t need to be expensive, either. If spending too much money is a concern for you, there are plenty of cheap options available that can serve the same purpose, especially if you enjoy camping or spending time outdoors. The important element is getting out of your regular environment—the familiar sights and sounds that tie you to everyday life. Try for a vacation setting that is as different from the norm as possible. It doesn’t have to be physically far away or cost a lot of money.

In contrast to this, vacations shouldn’t be overly short. Most people need at least a couple of days just to let go of everything and get out of “work mode,” before they can really begin to enjoy time away. A short vacation isn’t long enough to forget all of that and doesn’t give you the benefits of taking a break. Try for at least five days, but more is better.

The value of a long break is that the more time and psychological distance you can put between yourself and all the urgency of life, the more reflective and creative you can become. This space can be incredibly productive when thinking about overall business strategy and the direction of your company.