Leadership / 07.12.23
The Importance of Taking Time to Take Time Off
Christine Payne
I do not remember needing time off as much as I did when I took a vacation in June. Like many of us, I had waited far too long to book time away after the pandemic. It turns out that failing to take time off is not unusual.
Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center released results of a new survey. It showed that less than half of American workers use all their vacation days. North of the border, a recent study from recruiting firm Robert Half Canada revealed that 36% of workers feel more burned out than one year ago. Almost half feel just as burned out. Yet, only 32% said they plan to take more vacation days than last summer.
Fortunately, the volume of out-of-office emails that INTIX is receiving these days suggests that our industry is getting back into the swing of things, whether it’s a day on the golf course, a long weekend or traveling further afield for a lengthier period. This is such good news because time off can help prevent burnout, boost morale and improve productivity.
INTIX President and CEO Maureen Andersen knows firsthand the importance of a break from the day-to-day work routine. She, too, took a vacation in June, spending three-plus splendid weeks enjoying fabulous food, inspiring sights, sounds and new experiences with loved ones in Italy. The space and time to take this vacation were priceless.
“It was a much-needed respite from the labors of work and was a time to disconnect, recharge, rest and rejuvenate my body, mind and spirit,” Maureen says. “I am very grateful to so many who helped make this time away possible. I am also very grateful to our traveling companions, all dear friends, on this trip and especially for their humor, sense of adventure, high spirits, keen interest in learning and experiencing and sense of fun.”
Taking time to rest, relax and recharge is so important. Here are some things that INTIX professionals realized during their downtime, plus some learnings from research pros.
- Don’t wait one minute longer than necessary to go on a holiday and detach. Pull out your calendar and figure out when you can schedule a break. It may be an extended weekend or even a couple of days here and there. While doing that, look for a period when you can take more time off and book it. You will have something to look forward to.
“Going three-plus years without a journey out of the familiar and away from the daily grind is way too long,” Maureen says. “Luckily, I was able to shed the accumulation of stress and weariness quickly and found a pace befitting the joys and rhythms of Italy. There is a reason that it is called the La Dolce Vita!”
- Time off is good for your health. In addition to helping you rest and recover from the demands of a career in live entertainment and event ticketing, it can lower stress, increase life satisfaction, reduce anxiety and depression, and contribute to overall mental well-being. It can also save your life by reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
“Overall, vacations are experienced as positive events. This positive subjective experience may translate into physical health benefits given that vacation frequency may protect against metabolic syndrome and symptoms,” reported a study from researchers at Syracuse University.
An earlier, widely cited study from the same school found that annual vacations reduced the overall risk of death.
- Not having Wi-Fi or internet is a joy, and you can live without it. There were times during my vacation when reading emails or going online was not an option. That tiny “no signal” icon would appear on my phone, and I was instantly offline. Instead of checking in with the office, I was checking out the breathtaking scenery around me while boating down a beautiful river or driving through a national park. And each time my connectivity was lost, I eventually noticed that nothing was happening that someone else couldn’t deal with during my absence. Maureen came to a similar conclusion.
“I know the world runs on Wi-Fi and connectivity. Yes, there are things you really need it for, and activities can be complicated without it, but it is glorious when you are forced to live without it. You learn quickly that nothing, and I mean nothing that isn’t about food or family, happens on Sunday in Italy; you live with it. The simple joys of reading an actual book on a Tuscan hilltop, listening to birds and taking in the view while soaking in the beauty of the ever-changing light are pure bliss. I need to commit to more non-Wi-Fi time!”
Some ticketing professionals even turn off work-related notifications before heading out. Doing this — or removing work-related apps entirely — reduces the constant temptation to check email, Slack and other messaging services.
- Plan ahead if you can. And no, we don’t just mean your trip. Some of us worry about taking a whole week (or more!) away from work. There will always be events, clients, customers or colleagues who need things, so look at how you can delegate critical tasks during your absence. Think of it as an opportunity to teach others new skills, which may contribute to their career-development goals. You can also determine if there is work you can do in advance or after you return. All these things will help keep things running smoothly while you are away.
- Let go of things you can’t control. Let’s face it, something will happen during your time off. Curtains will rise and fall. Games will go into overtime. New shows will be announced. A client will need help or a change to something you have already completed. Stuff happens! When you return, some of it won’t even matter in the grand scheme of things.
Remember, you cannot be everything to everyone at every single moment. And like the flight cabin crew will remind you as you are about to take off, if the oxygen masks drop, you must put on your mask before you can help anyone else. Taking vacation time to decompress will put you in a better position to help yourself, others and your organization.
“Life is long and worrying about things you can’t control [is pointless],” Maureen says. “There are things, really, that just are not very important to hold on to. [Letting go] also reinforces that I am a speck in the long path of humanity and that grace is quite lovely.”
- Peace, calm and serenity are there for the taking. What that means is different for all of us, but it is within your control to book your time off, plan for it and then let go … and go! You may be a traveler, an outdoor adventurer seeking a new challenge, a music lover who wants to visit a favorite venue, a passionate patron of the arts jetting off to see a production in a faraway place, or perhaps a golfer who wants to improve their score on a course never played. Maureen found that serenity on her recent travels.
“I don’t think it really matters about religion at all, but there is a calm when you enter Italian churches, many of which go back in one form or another to the 9th or 10th century or earlier. Whether you go for the art, the architecture, to pray, for the coolness, a place to sit down or all of those things, there is a calming effect. It’s difficult not to be in awe of the grandeur of a space that literally mandates silence and meditation,” Maureen says. “I love to linger in churches and am always amazed from the simple to the baroque by the magnitude of the coalesced engineering, art, architecture and faith of these spaces. It connects me to ancient times while sitting in my modern world. I light candles because I honor my moment in these spaces and ask the universe to protect us all on our journeys.”
In closing, Maureen had this advice to share: “Take a vacation! Go and turn it off and let go,” she says. “Unplug and recharge! Rest and treat yourself to simple pleasures. Eat what you want. Walk until your legs ache. Try something that terrifies you and find faith. Yes, what we do is important work, but it will go on without us, and it will be here when we all come back. Personally, I’m so much better for doing this and will do it again sooner than later.”
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Tags: Leadership , Time Off