Five reasons to unplug your vacation

We don’t get all that many vacation days. Even if you think your hard-earned three weeks is cushy, you’ve got nothing on Europe where they typically have weeks and weeks more — even Singaporeans get 30 days. Surveys like this one have proven that Americans don’t even take all their vacation days. I understand this; there’s always a fear that you won’t get ahead as quickly or that people will think you’re “taking advantage.” Unfortunately, in many office cultures, this can be true.

And so, you feel pressured to stay available, even on your vacation. Your away message reads “available by Blackberry.” You ensure your hotel has high speed internet so you can get a little work done. You know what that is? Vacation sabotage. For sending to your boss, or maybe your spouse, here are Five reasons to unplug your vacation:

1. You’ll sleep better.
Part of the importance of vacation is to get some long hours of sleep. That iPhone buzzing, the little red Blackberry light flashing, even the knowledge that you might have a new message, especially if you’re vacationing in a different time zone; these are all things that can mess with your sleep. Though you might have withdrawl for your first night or two, with no one counting on you to be available and no deadlines looming, you’ll sleep much better.

2. Time to think.
For many of us, a day of work is a day of putting out fires. We may come into the office in the morning with a good idea, but by noon there have been several crises and we’ve forgotten all about it. This isn’t the path toward innovation. By unplugging yourself, you allow your mind time to ponder your work experience from the outside. You might be surprised at how you can simplify or improve a business matter by stepping away from it. Unplugging will help you reenter your workplace with fresh eyes, an invaluable commodity.3. Physical and emotional health.
There’s a lot to be said for taking a step back from the stresses of work. Not only can you find new ways to do a better job, but the time also gives your poor mind and body a break. Balancing the stresses of modern day life and work, both physical and emotional, can be quite a juggling act. Don’t bring your laptop and spend time hunched over it like you would back home; unplug and get a massage or lie on the beach — it may be the only rest those muscles get until next year. Furthermore, don’t worry so much about everything, which is what being available will inevitably cause you to do. Constant reminders of what you’re missing at work will interfere with your relaxation. A vacation should be a break from physical and emotional stresses — it’s what you need to have you feeling refreshed when you’re back in that office or cubicle.

4. Your family.
Your vacation may be the longest stretch of time you get to spend with your family … ever. Use the time to get to know them, play with them, love them and don’t waste their time looking for a good wifi signal or make them wait while you answer an email. Staying available and working can lead your family to feel that the vacation is some kind of favor you’re doing them and that you don’t want to be there. That’s not good.

5. You earned it.
Take your vacation days. Take them, and maybe we can get our country’s mindset about these hard-earned days back on track. Request them on one of your good days, so that your request gets returned to you with a smiley face and a “You deserve it” scribbled in the margin. You do deserve to not answer your Blackberry or iPhone while you are trying to unwind. Time things so that your bosses view your unreachability as a reward, not an inconvenience.