Try-It-Out-Tuesday: Making Summer Vacation Last
With Labor Day behind us, it’s time to face the sad truth: summer is over. And, in all likelihood, so is your vacation. Sure, the first day of fall isn’t officially until September 22, but temperatures are slowly falling, school is back in session and pools have closed until Memorial Day 2014. Given these facts, it would not be surprising if you’re already planning your next vacation. However, according to several recent studies, more vacation time does not always make your return to work any happier.
The Atlantic recently reported that new vacation data — including recent information out of consulting firm Mercer — reveals that there is little to no correlation between (mandatory) vacation time and worker satisfaction.
With Labor Day behind us, it’s time to face the sad truth: summer is over. And, in all likelihood, so is your vacation. Sure, the first day of fall isn’t officially until September 22, but temperatures are slowly falling, school is back in session and pools have closed until Memorial Day 2014. Given these facts, it would not be surprising if you’re already planning your next vacation. However, according to several recent studies, more vacation time does not always make your return to work any happier.
The Atlantic recently reported that new vacation data — including recent information out of consulting firm Mercer — reveals that there is little to no correlation between (mandatory) vacation time and worker satisfaction.
“Of itself, high levels of vacation do not necessarily mean higher levels of happiness,” explained Chris Johnson, a senior partner for Mercer’s Leadership & Organization Performance practice, in a recent phone interview. “The thing that really matters is the degree that the employer displays interest… in the employee’s health, and employers willingness to be flexible around employees.”
Johnson said that if an employer really wants to engage their employees, facilitating flexible work arrangements and providing access to health insurance and even things like gym memberships have helped with employee happiness. On the flip side, employees who focus on these benefits — rather than pining away for more vacation time — can often achieve happiness without needing an extra week at the beach.
Not convinced? Here are three other strategies to employ to extend the happy glow of your summer vacation all the way through the fall:
Appreciate what autumn brings: Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, author of “A Happy You,” says that focusing on the fun aspects of fall, rather than sadness that summer vacation is over, can increase your happiness. “There’s a lot of great stuff in fall, too,” she said, citing activities like apple-picking and leaf peeping. “A lot of times you have different festivals or events that towns have for the fall — Oktoberfest and those things. Research shows that when we have things to look forward to, that boosts our happiness.”
Change your work rhythm. Mercer’s Johnson noted that vacations help us recharge in large part because they disrupt the daily grind and give us something new to do. He says that if you can change your rhythm while still at the office, you can find a measure or rejuvenation. “Can you organize a day, organize a week, so you take on a period of intense work so you know that shortly after that the pace will be different?” he said, noting that mixing up client visits and office work can be one way to switch up a schedule. “Doing something different can help with the fact that you’ve worked intensively.”
Do something that reminds you of your vacation. Sleeping till noon might be out of the question during the work week, but Lombardo says that looking at pictures or eating something that you ate while on vacation could bring some of those happy-vacation feelings to your desk — but only if you won’t get upset that you’re not still on a beach. “We can pair certain smells tastes and sounds and visions with peace and happiness,” she said. “If you have a picture of Hawaii, if you have the smell of coconut, or the mango or papaya, how do you interpret it? Is it, ‘I hate being here and I wish I were in Hawaii,’ or is it, ‘oh my gosh how fun that was!’ Try to be grateful for the opportunity as opposed to upset that it’s not right now.”
