Vacations are good for employee wellbeing, and the effects are long lasting

Most Americans didn’t take all their vacation time this past year. Even if they did, it’s highly likely they didn’t fully unplug while off the clock.

If you’re like those people, you might want to change your limited vacation habit if you want to improve your health and wellbeing, according to a new review article.

The meta-analysis of 32 studies from nine countries suggests that not only are vacations more beneficial for boosting employee wellbeing than previously thought, but the positive effects of annual leave last much longer than the ride home from the airport.

What the researchers say: "We think working more is better, but we actually perform better by taking care of ourselves,” the lead author said. “The theme of the paper is that vacations create longer lasting benefits than previously thought,” he explained. “Job demands and job stress are on the rise. But people think that they can’t take time off because they don’t want to look bad or lose out on an opportunity for promotion.”

It's important to disengage from work on vacation for maximum wellbeing benefits, because how you vacation makes a difference in how restorative your time off is. The researchers found that employees who psychologically disengaged from work on their vacations saw the most improvement in their wellbeing.

“If you’re not at work but you’re thinking about work on vacation, you might as well be at the office,” the researchers said. “Vacations are one of the few opportunities we get to fully just disconnect from work.” Ideally, that means not answering emails, taking work calls or even thinking about the office.

The analysis also found that people who engaged in physical activities while on vacation experienced higher levels of wellbeing and restoration. But that doesn’t have to mean going for a marathon hike or sweat session on holiday.

“Basically, anything that gets your heart rate up is a good option,” they noted. “Plus, a lot of physical activities you’re doing on vacation, like snorkeling for example, are physical. So, they’re giving you the physiological and mental health benefits. But they’re also unique opportunities for these really positive experiences that you probably don’t get in your everyday life.”

The review also suggests that longer vacations offer greater benefits for employees once they head back to work.  However, while longer vacation stretches appear to be more beneficial, those getting back from extended trips can also experience a steeper decline in their wellbeing once they’re back to reality.

That’s why the periods right before and immediately after vacation are key. Giving yourself time to pack and plan your trip ahead of time reduces stress and can help maximize wellbeing benefits. Also, incorporating a day or two off to reacclimate when you get home can ease the transition back into work mode, the researchers said.

My take: The need for a break is embedded in our design specs. Holidays—time off spent separate from the main group—are, in one form or another, a feature in the lives of most hunter-gatherers past and present. In these societies individuals tend to go “walkabout,” as the Australian Aboriginals call it, once a year to reconnect with the land or their traditions. Originally, the term referred to a young Aboriginal male wandering off for some time as a rite of passage to adulthood.

Christ is said to have spent 40 days in the Judean Desert away from his companions. Like the young Indigenous Australian on his own in the bush, Jesus faced trials and tribulations and proved himself in surviving them.

More generally, hunter-gatherers would take a few weeks or even months a year to go off and recharge and reflect either alone or in small groups. This need to separate from work or other normal activity may be hard-wired into us—hence the concept of the annual “vacation.”