Why taking a vacation is good for your business!
I recalled a moment from a vacation I shared with 8 of my best friends. I was running my dogs and started laughing out loud! Likely many of you, you haven’t been able to see, let alone spend time with your friends. We planned a girls’ trip to Hocking Hills, where we rented a house to get away, recharge, and connect. We gathered, we embraced, hiked, sat poolside listening to our favorite music, laughed, cooked together (excellent cooks, may I add – not me), sat by the fire pit with our favorite beverage updating each other. The excitement of seeing my friends for an extended period brought me joy and happiness. I had never laughed so much as this trip! This gathering I would title unforgettable fun!
This vacation had an enormous impact! Probably because of covid and many of us had not seen each other outside of zoom happy hours and phone calls. We needed an escape from our homes and work! Many of us working more hours than we typically would.
When work is overwhelming, and your work-life feels out of balance, it’s time to ask yourself, “Should I go on vacation?” The answer is Yes! People are working more hours and taking less time off, have not been able to get away or gather with family and friends, bringing on various mental and physical health challenges.
Why are vacations critical to you and your business? It gives you a chance to recharge. Studies show that managers and employees that take a vacation experience an increase in productivity after returning to work, which can positively impact the rest of the team.
Employees who take time away to recharge return to work with more energy and innovation to invest in the company’s success. 70% of employees who regularly take a week-long summer vacation say they are driven to contribute to the companies success, compared with 55% of those who don’t.
O.C.Tanner completed a study that recently asked 1,000+ workers across the country about their experiences and thoughts regarding summer vacation. For those employees who regularly take a one-week or more extended vacation in the summer, there are positive correlations between their workplace engagement levels and work ethic:
• 70 percent of respondents say they are highly motivated to contribute to the organization’s success instead of only 55 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation.
• 63 percent of respondents say they feel a sense of belonging at the company where they currently work instead of only 43 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation.
• 65 percent of respondents say they have a strong desire to be working for their organization one year from now, as opposed to 51 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation.
Do you know what else vacations do? They Boost your happiness!
Research shows that planning a vacation can boost your happiness. Some people experience an elevated mood up to eight weeks before the trip. You all have experienced this while planning your vacations—the anticipation of seeing family, friends, the beach, the mountains, or your happy place. I experienced extreme happiness planning and attending the Girls trip to Hocking Hills!
The bottom line is, take a vacation! When you take time away from the stresses of work and daily life, it can improve your physical and mental health, motivation, relationships, job performance, and perspective. A vacation can help you feel recharged and more prepared to handle whatever comes when you return.
So get to planning and booking your next vacation. I would love to hear where you’ve headed for your getaway, and send me pictures of you recharging!
Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book “Three Word Meetings.” Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.
Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .