I’m just back from a great vacation, feeling energized and ready to tackle my never ending to-do-list. It is amazing the clarity vacation brings when you return to your desk. Prioritizing seems much easier when the stress is lifted and you can look at things with a clearer head.

I actually took a true vacation - no phone, computer and just a quick look each day on my blackberry to make sure there was nothing urgent. I quickly got my head out of work and on to the business of fun and relaxation.

I did a little on-line research on the importance of giving yourself the gift of a vacation and here is what I found:

Over at http://stress.about.com/od/workplacestress/a/vacations.htm they suggest the following benefits of taking vacation:

·        Vacations Promote Creativity: A good vacation can help us to reconnect with ourselves, operating as a vehicle for self-discovery and helping us get back to feeling our best.

·        Vacations Stave Off Burnout: Workers who take regular time to relax are less likely to experience burnout, making them more creative and productive than their overworked, under-rested counterparts.

·        Vacations Can Keep Us Healthy: Taking regular time off to ‘recharge your batteries’, thereby keeping stress levels lower, can keep you healthier.

·        Vacations Promote Overall Wellbeing: One study found that three days after vacation, subjects' physical complaints, their quality of sleep and mood had improved as compared to before vacation. These gains were still present five weeks later, especially in those who had more personal time and overall satisfaction during their vacations.

·        Vacations Can Strengthen Bonds: Spending time enjoying life with loved ones can keep relationships strong, helping you enjoy the good times more and helping you through the stress of the hard times. In fact, a study by the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services found that women who took vacations were more satisfied with their marriages.

·        Vacations Can Help With Your Job Performance: As the authors of the above study suggest, the psychological benefits that come with more frequent vacations lead to increased quality of life, and that can lead to increased quality of work on the job.

·        Vacations Relieve Stress in Lasting Ways: It should come as no surprise that vacations that include plenty of free time bring stress relief, but research shows that a good vacation can lead to the experience of fewer stressful days at least five weeks later! That means that vacations are the gift to yourself that keep on giving.

The bottom line is that taking a good amount of time away from the stresses of daily life can give us the break we need so that we can return to our lives refreshed and better equipped to handle whatever comes.

If you need a little justification for vacation time here it is. Print this, show it to your boss and start planning that great vacation away from the office, even if it is a stay-cation. Remember though, no checking into work. Just get your head out of work for a day, week or a couple of weeks and reap the benefits.

Additional resources:

Jay Henderson of PricewaterhouseCoopers entitled “How to Take a Vacation”

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_40/b3953611.htm

5 benefits of using vacation - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5860450/five_benefits_of_using_your_vacation.html

Signs you need a vacation - http://workawesome.com/your-job/important-vacation-time/