When the stress of work and everyday life gets to us and we start feeling burned out, we often dream about taking a nice long vacation so we can disconnect and forget about the pains of our existence. But it turns out that we might be doing vacations wrong, and that a nice long break is not what we need, but a shorter break that can help us decompress a bit more often could be a better way to schedule our time off.
Of course when it comes to how to take a vacation the only thing that counts is your preference, and it is not the same for everyone, it depends on your type of job and personal responsibilities that you leave behind in order to disconnect. But a very important argument can be made in favor of more frequent breaks throughout the year rather than one big break and working tirelessly the rest of the time.
How to take the best vacation, a matter of science or preference
The one thing that is not up for debate is the fact that vacations are necessary not just for the physical health, but for the mental health aspect. They have many positives that are quite hard to argue with, reduced stress, improved well-being, increased energy, overall better mood…. And it does not matter much whether you stay home or go somewhere to get those benefits, although going away tends to also distance you from your everyday life which can also be beneficial if that is also a source of stress.
The problem with a long vacation can be that, between the time that it takes to prep for it logistically (you might have to leave instructions for your work mates to take over, plan a lot of activities in your chosen location to make the most of it, consider packing, childcare needs, pet boarding or accommodations, expenses, house sitting and the myriad of little tasks that must be accounted for when you leave your home for an extended period of time) and the time that it takes to catch up with your responsibilities once you get back, the relaxation that you might have felt when away will quickly disappear once you are in your environment again.
Plus, if a lot of your job is yours to manage or complete, there is an inordinate amount of work and emails that might be waiting for your return that will need to be addressed with some urgency, which will stress you out even more.
Considering those negatives can negate the effect of your vacation almost as soon as you get back, a long stretch might not be the solution for those that are overworked and stressed.
The alternative is, of course, to take shorter but more frequent breaks. This will allow you to decompress with a lot less stress to manage at your return, while still giving you enough time to shut your brain from your day to day responsibilities. What counts as a short burst? 3 to four days seem to be the sweet spot according to Henrik Mahncke, Head of Analysis at Denmark’s Realdania and author of “Our Quality of Life”.
That is enough time to disconnect but not too much time that the downsides affect your return, making it the most efficient use of your off time. As an added bonus, shorter stays away can be a lot more budget friendly even when travel costs to and from are included, as it is more likely that you will go away in the off season, offsetting the costs that you would have spent on accommodations.