Inspiring Workplaces: Give Me a Break! The Importance of Breaking Away

Published: Wed, 07/28/21

View on mobile device or browser
Humor at Work ISSUE 882 - July 28, 2021
header splash
   
    Give Me a Break! The Importance of Breaking Away
   





 

A slew of Harvard Business Report articles came across my desk this week reminding me to take a vacation. And I'll share this with you - not only have I not taken a vacation since the start of the pandemic, I've rarely even taken a full weekend off. And I know I'm not alone.

Scads of stats suggest that many employees don't take their full vacation time (or indeed any) for a host of reasons. There are, however, serious physical and mental health repercussions for not taking time off work. So yes, I am going to force myself to take some time off this August, and as things ooze back to normalcy, I hope you will do the same! 

 

  • To maximize the benefits and reduce the stress associated with a last-minute vacation, one study suggests the ideal time mentally to take a vacation is three months ahead of time.
  • Plan carefully beforehand so you know you can leave without toting any excess mental baggage along. (The fees for excessive baggage are brutal.
  • Resiliency experts suggest you need at least one week to completely wind down.
  • Experts say it's important to get a complete physical break away so you're not reminded of work all the time. And with so many of us working from home, 'staycations' might not have the same impact they once had (though they're still a fabulous option for bite-sized breaks). If travel restrictions are still too cumbersome, consider a 'local-ation,' which sounds like a form of brain surgery but merely involves traveling somewhere relatively close by car, but still far enough away that it feels like a real break. 
  • Consider deleting work-related apps, turning off work notifications, and keeping your itinerary on pen and paper to minimize your phone time.
  • If you are highly goal-oriented, try setting some relaxation goals for your break to help ensure you maximize the rejuvenating potential of a good break. 


And once you return, plan your work re-entry carefully so you don't get sucked immediately back into the vortex. Don't plan meetings for your first day back. Give yourself a buffer day at home  before returning to work. Consider starting back with only half a day at work. Or, return on a Wednesday, Thursday, or even a Friday so you can ease back with a super short work week.

For more tips on how to return to work after a vacation, here are some tips from a Business Insider article I was quoted in: 8 Things Successful People Do When They Return From Vacation. 

rule1
   
    Mike's Fun at Work Tip
 
Create a fun way to register participants' votes or take their pulse during virtual video meetings. Participants could, for example, use a bent arm as a needle gauge to indicate how enthusiastically they support an idea, have participants hold up hand-held signs, or use different-colored objects or pieces of paper to register a 'yes', 'no' or 'need more information' vote.
rule1
    Groaner of the Week

If a drummer comes out of retirement, will there be any repercussions? 
rule1
    Funny Business
 
August is right around the bend, so the August theme days are up on the site, including such fan favorites as:

August 3: Watermelon Day
August 6: Root Beer Float Day
August 7: Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day
August 8: Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night
August 10: Duran Duran Appreciation Day
August 13: International Left Hander’s Day
August 16: Rollercoaster Day
August 18: Bad Poetry Day
August 24: International Strange Music Day
August 28: Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day
rule1
 
Every Other Wednesday is back today, Wednesday, July 28.  Book your free seat here!
My friend Dr. Lisa Belanger will be joining us to talk about mindfulness, workplace mental health practices, and how to banish burnout in the workplace.


August Savings on Virtual Presentations. Ask about our August savings for Mike's virtual presentation "Hitting the Reset Button at Work After the Pandemic." Only available for August, and while supplies last!

Culture Leadership Academy Online Course. Let's talk about great group discounted pricing for your team! Culture Leadership Academy


Inspiring Workplaces YouTube Channel
Office Pet Peeves: What Workplace Behaviors Drive People Batty (3 min.)
 
  Follow Michael Kerr
pic8 twitterlinkedintwitter
 
Copyright © 2021 Humor at Work. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com