SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from over 250,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.
When is the last time you took a vacation?
- Last week: 14%
- Last month: 30%
- Last quarter: 18%
- 6 months ago: 14%
- Vacation? What’s that?: 24%
Time to take a break. The 24% of you who can’t recall your last vacation are at risk for a lot of issues. Burnout, job dissatisfaction, family stress, and physical issues can all result from working too long without a break. The excuse of “I don’t have time because I have too much to do” doesn’t hold water. You have to make the time. A vacation doesn’t have to be long or expensive either. Just staying home for a few days and reconnecting with family, resting and taking some weight off your mind can work wonders. Travel can be stressful and expensive, so if you are taking a vacation requiring a trip, be sure you’re not inadvertently adding more stress to your life. For those who are demonstrating good vacation habits, bravo. Make sure your team members and colleagues do the same. Encourage them to take time off and offer to pick up the slack while they’re gone. It’s a generous offer and will benefit you and the team in the long run if everyone is rested and feels well taken care of.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He’s the author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”