A Vacation Changed Everything

When I was in university, I would do 12 hours of school in one day. On the days that I wasn’t there for long periods of time, I was working. I had a weekend job, so I didn’t go out partying or really go anywhere. It was school, then work. Even after graduating, I was balancing two jobs, and I never took time off to be with friends or family. I was always “the girl who always works.” I wouldn’t spend a long weekend at home. Why? Because I was working. However, something changed. I finally got a job where vacation is paid, and hours are accumulated by how much you work. One time in February of 2021, I took a vacation; it was the first one I had taken in five years. I got on a plane to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and for the first time in a long time, I experienced beaches with sunsets and sunrises. I drank mojitos by the pool and skipped the cold snap. “I could get used to this,” I told myself as I drank a pina colada and read a book while the sun gave me a tan. Since then, I’ve been prioritizing going on vacation in February. I work the full week of Christmas, other than Christmas Day and Boxing Day, just to dream about my goal of being back in Mexico for the coldest month here.

This year, I cannot stress enough how much I needed a break. I was drifting in and out of brain fog and got sick at least once a month, if not more. After getting back to work, I felt human again. I felt like I had my life together, finally, after laying awake worrying about work. I felt like I didn’t have to anymore. I could take it day by day and enjoy it. Without that break, I would probably need to take an extended leave of absence from work. I felt burnt out and mentally drained from everything. I felt so brand new, something I had never felt before. It was like all the pieces of my life had come together. I know that now people can barely afford to go on vacation with their families due to the increase in inflation.

I can’t ignore that some companies do not pay time off, which tells me that they’d rather see people submit a short-term disability form for their mental health, which can turn into long-term disability and maybe even eventually quitting their job. We need vacations. We are already expected to have a work-life balance, but how are you supposed to get that balance when we work 8 hours every day and have two days off, with one of those days spent taking care of chores like laundry or grocery shopping, which are time-consuming? Then, you have one day off work, but if you have children involved in sports or dance classes, you need to show up for their games or shows, and next thing you know, you're at that water cooler talking about “how exhausted you are.” Because your weekends are just that—an end to the week before you rinse and repeat. What I would love to have is to work four days and have three days off. You could go away for the weekend (that's a five-hour drive), have a day to yourself, and three days to spend more time with your children. A lot of families do wish they spent more time with their children. Vacation gives you everything you need to refresh your brain and feel like a new person. There are other benefits too: increased productivity (which I’ve experienced recently), heart health, mental health, well-being, positive attitude, happiness, adventure, creativity, and better sleep. The list goes on and on. Honestly, if you can’t go away, just take one day off work. Will it kill you? No. Will you get fired? Probably not. And if you do, then you’ve clearly been at the wrong place for far too long.

“Some of your best ideas come when you're on vacation.”

And I believe that. Go on, take it!