5 Reasons Why Taking a Holiday is Good for Your Career

5 Reasons Why Taking a Holiday is Good for Your Career Its summer  and the beach is calling! You love the idea of jetting away somewhere slightly more exotic than the grey interior of your office, but youre snowed under at work and theres no way you can deal with the workload thatll be left to pick up when you return. Sound familiar? STOP! Youre on track to working yourself into the ground. We all need a break from time to time, or youre putting yourself  at risk of stress and believe it or not, a bit of RR can actually benefit your career. If youve recently started a new job, or are trying hard to make a good impression, its a temptation to forgo your annual leave out of fear of it reflecting badly on you, or causing you to fall behind with  work. You may feel like its actually benefiting your career at the time, however it can in fact be damaging to your productivity if you dont give yourself a break. So if you think about it, taking a holiday is actually GOOD for your career. Just keep in mind that you should always give plenty of notice before taking time off and prepare any work or necessary cover ahead of time, so that your boss is not left in the lurch when youre gone. Here are a few reasons why taking a holiday can be beneficial. 1.  Taking breaks improves productivity You might think that working late and not taking  time off means you will get more work done, but  research has actually found that when working longer hours, employees arent as creative and find it hard to maintain the same intensity level in their work. So by working yourself too hard, it could actually be detrimental to the quality of your work. Week by the pool anyone? 2.Youll be healthier If you dont take the time off to relax and unwind, you are putting yourself at risk of becoming stressed. Stress can have negative implications for your health, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and depression. So its important to look after yourself, as well as  your workload! 3. Quality time with loved ones Chances are that if youre working long hours, you dont get to spend as much  time with your loved ones as youd like to. By taking some annual leave from work, you can set that time aside to spend quality time with them, whether it be at home or on a trip together. Spending time with your friends and family may be just what you need to unwind  and improve your mood after a stressful period at work. 4. New experiences There is so much to do and see in the world, which just isnt going to happen from the confines of your office. Take a break  and experience new things, or you may regret it later. If youve been meaning to take up a new hobby, this could be your chance to give it a go and you never know, it may even open doors to new opportunities in the future. So step away from the computer and go enjoy yourself! 5. Work-Life balance is important If a good work-life balance is not met in your  job, its likely that you will start to build negative feelings towards work or your employer, and it could also take its toll on your  health. In order to be happy at work and maintain the drive to work at the best of your ability, its important for you to be able to balance work and your personal life, so that you are not deprived of doing things you enjoy outside of work and are living  a healthy lifestyle. Image Credit: Shutterstock