Tag: vacations

Why I Finally Started Taking Time Off (And You Should Too)

I took a day off today—not for any special reason, but simply because I maxed out my vacation hours and am no longer accumulating any more. Since that’s the case, I’ve started taking a day off every other week, turning my weekends into three-day breaks.

I have too many unused vacation days—not because I didn’t have plans, but because I was never allowed to take them. There was always something more urgent that needed to be done. For a long time, I was semi-okay with this. And then, one day, I wasn’t anymore.

I’m not sure if it’s related to my age, or the fact that I’m finally at a point in my life where I’m financially secure enough to work because I want to—not because I have to. Maybe it’s just that I’ve realized I need to take care of myself first.

There should be no reason for anyone to max out their vacation days. We should take time off.

Time off energizes us. It gives us time with our families, offers us mental space, and helps nourish our souls.

Some companies pay you for unused vacation days. Mine doesn’t. But honestly, I don’t want the payout—I want the time.

Today, I cleaned out one of my junk drawers, took a nap, and finally watched a TV series I’ve been meaning to catch up on. And I had time to pause and think about the future and what I really want.

Do I want to keep working for a company that doesn’t let me take time off? One that doesn’t seem to care about burnout or mental well-being?

In the middle of my day off, my boss texted me asking where I was. I reminded her I was off—we had talked about it. She replied, “You didn’t, and it’s not on my calendar.” But it was on her calendar. It was also on the calendars of the people covering for me. In fact, the whole office knew I was taking the day off.

At the end of the day, we are all replaceable. It wouldn’t take long for my company to post a job ad and find someone new. But the time I lose—I don’t get that back.

I’ve already planned out a few more days off over the next three months. Maybe on one of those days, I’ll even update my résumé—or apply somewhere that does value employees taking time for themselves.

#Work-life balance  #Burnout #Time off #Mental health at work
#Employee wellness #Career reflection

Taking Time Off: My Vacation Insights

Things I Learned from My Last Vacation

I took my vacation during winter break and went to Maui, where I had a lot of fun. It did take me two or three days to decompress and finally relax. I work long hours, typically over 40 hours a week, and usually work six days a week in some capacity.

But what really hit me was when I went to put my vacation days on my timesheet and discovered that, even with my week off, I still had five more weeks of vacation available to me. This wasn’t because my employer offers generous paid time off—quite the opposite. It’s because even when the office is officially closed, someone always has to be on call. Apparently, I’ve been that person for the last several years, even though I never volunteered for the role.

The funny thing is, there’s really no reason for anyone to be on call during our breaks. My job is one of those where, when we’re closed, there’s nothing to do—no urgent emails to answer or tasks to tackle. Yet, someone at headquarters decided that there always has to be an on-call person. Unfortunately for me, only a few people can fill that role.

I was asked to be the on-call person during the second week of our office break and also to take on a specific project—one that could easily be handled during our regular work weeks and didn’t require extra time from me, as I’m usually ahead on all my assignments. So when I came back from Maui, it dawned on me that I really needed this time off, and there was no reason for me to take on this extra project. I decided to continue my vacation. Even though I was technically the on-call person, I only handled the “urgent” matters (which, by the way, were nonexistent) and limited my work to what was absolutely necessary.

When everyone returned to the office, my boss asked if I had completed the project. I simply said no. This will be handled during regular work days and hours. Just like everyone else, I took my well-earned break and used my vacation days. If you’re wondering whether I was disciplined or reprimanded, I wasn’t. Sometimes, lightning strikes, and even headquarters realizes their requests are unreasonable.w

So, what did I learn?

It’s okay to say no when work intrudes on time off. I’ve learned that I need a better work-life balance—not only because my employer doesn’t appreciate or reward me for it, but also because I need it for my own sanity. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I’m needed at work,” but that’s a bottomless pit with no real rewards. Work-life balance is a must, as are vacations and time off. They’re essential for both productivity and mental well-being.

I’m already penciling in my time off for 2025 and will make sure to follow my own advice.

Finding time for taking time off

It is very easy to delay time off and  vacations, telling yourself you are very busy right now and postpone fun activities. God knows I have found many excuses before – I have deadlines at work, this is not the right time, it’s the end of the quarter or year and many more excuses. But when is the right time really? It seems like when we become adults with full time jobs there  is never really a right time to take  a vacation or sometimes even just a day or two off.

I know some people with unlimited PTO and  from what I hear these unlimited PTO people take the least time off. I have a limited amount of time off, it is not small at all but still limited and I get to transfer only a small amount of vacation days to the next calendar year.

Time off is important, we all need it. We need time to refresh, clear our heads and do things outside of our professional life for ourselves and our families. Weekend breaks are really not enough, at least not for me. 

Although my time off is limited to specific times during the year, times that are not flexible and do not always allow me to get the best rates for travel, I still choose to take my vacation days and have some fun. I even stopped taking my laptop with me as I learned to let go and trust my team to cover for me (this was a big issue for me as a recovering workaholic).

Something happened in the last couple of years that made clear what my priorities should be: family,  friends , health and time off for fun. Health I can’t really control but everything else I can.

I can not only make sure I take care of myself but take care of my work team as well.

And since no time off makes employees burn out, it is very important for us as not only to take care of ourselves but as leaders and managers to make sure our team gets time off as well.

I read somewhere that employees don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses. Not sure how true that is for everyone who quits, but having managers that truly care about their employees’ life balance , happiness and yes, their time off is, should be part of managing a great team.

Becoming a recovering workaholic.

Recently there has been a Tik Tok going around with a voice over that says – being on vacation is better than being at work. And despite most of us agreeing with this as a matter of principal, some of us, me included, have a hard time disconnecting and enjoying our vacation.
This summer i went on a cruise and as a true workaholic i did pay extra for WIFI access. As life tends to throw us curveballs – the internet was great for the phone, not so much for my laptop! I have to admit that letting go was not easy for me but i made a conscious decision to let go and go to the business center and work. I decided to be present, to let go and enjoy spending time with my family, visited new places and i even read a book or two and enjoyed my coffee in relative peace.
This was not easy for me but it did force me to stop and take a look at how i am living and remind me that we all need to disconnect. I still check my emails during my days off, but i try to limit myself to checking only 3 times a day and not constantly. #business #work #coffee #vacationsareneeded #workholics #familytime