The march toward a more sensible work-life balance, giving employees trust and freedom and making sure your staff isn’t living to work, has been picking up pace recently. Unlimited holiday is the next step on that journey.
The latest info now shows that an environment where employees are encouraged to take vacation days = higher productivity and staff retention. We all know that time off is good for us – much like any machine, no matter how well-oiled, the human body and brain can only work so hard for so long, and then it needs a break. After all, we spend one third of our entire existence sleeping – where the most healing activities in the body take place – and that indicates that our waking hours need to be a combination of both production and leisure.
Our brains are always working, even when sleeping, so refocusing it on pleasurable and non-work activities and thoughts is essential to keeping us literally sane and mentally and physically healthy. In fact, according to Scientific American, “Mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity. Many recent studies have corroborated the idea that our mental resources are continuously depleted throughout the day and that various kinds of rest and downtime can both replenish those reserves and increase their volume.”
Do employees really benefit so vastly from taking holidays?
The health benefits of taking holidays are becoming more well-documented and better understood. Longer breaks are not only beneficial, but critical to our health and wellbeing. Research from AARP has shown that over 70% of people who take a break to travel reported better emotional and physical health and improved relationships and productivity at work. Overall wellbeing is one of the biggest advantages of holiday travel, with the benefits starting during the initial travel planning phase and extending well beyond the trip. The same benefits apply to just taking a break from work.
It turns out that by giving your mind a break, you can increase productivity, replenish your attention, and foster creativity
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