5 Signs You Need To Take A Vacation

The last year has made us all dream of a vacation more than ever before. Unfortunately, the world has closed its borders, and international travel has ceased to a literal halt. Everyone needs time off, time-to-time, regardless of their career or work ethic.But there are undeniable signs you need a vacation!

Here are some of the incredible benefits of taking a vacation:

• The New York Times reported that those who failed to take an annual vacation were 32% more likely to suffer a heart attack
• A study of 1,500 women in Wisconsin found that those taking two vacations per year were less likely to suffer from depression
• In addition, a study from the American Psychological Association found that vacations dramatically cut stress and anxiety

Okay, let’s not get too depressing, but many workers feel stressed and anxious about the current times. As a result, many workers are also considering career changes and lifestyle changes.

Microsoft found that 41% of people are considering a career change after the pandemic, which is startling and shows a significant problem for businesses. Further studies show that 25 to 41% of workers consider quitting their jobs due to stresses, anxieties, and a change in life ambitions after the pandemic.

If you’re feeling worn out by the pandemic (who isn’t), it might be an excellent time to book your vacation as the world reopens. In turn, it’s a good time for employers to consider giving staff some vacation time to alleviate stress.

Here are some telling signs you need a vacation (which applies to most of us.)

1 - Feeling as gloomy as the Alaska winter

Are you feeling gloomy? You’re not alone. In fact, in 2019, 11% of U.S. adults reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. By 2020, this has increased to 42%, showing a significant yet predictable problem at the moment.

A vacation could really brighten your mood and make you feel happier. After all, can you think of anything better than being sat on a pandemic-free Caribbean beach?

Feeling gloomy and down can affect your career progression because it can leave your mind feeling unfocused, unmotivated, and uninspired. But, of course, you don’t want to feel any of these emotions, and if you do feel them – you should consider giving your mind and soul a rest.

A two-week vacation where you leave your stresses, work ethic, and career at home can seriously give you a refresh. So why not escape somewhere and enjoy a few drinks by the beach; or your version of this lazy activity.

Feeling gloomy is one of the key signs you need a vacation!

2 - You’re starting to notice your own toxic behavior

Toxic behavior can ruin everything, including your career and success in sales. Examples of toxic behavior include short-tempered attitude, disorganization, and poor punctuality.

These are perhaps signs you need a vacation, time to rest, and a total rethink. Furthermore, work stress might encourage you to adopt bad habits, including poor sleep patterns, lack of exercise, and demotivation.

Nonetheless, that’s when a vacation can help you reassess your behavior and how you can improve. We’ve all been there, and most of the time, an excellent vacation will help you remove any toxic behaviors and leave as refreshed as a cucumber!

3 - Your life becomes as tedious as taking the trash out

Do you know that feeling when everything feels like a chore? Of course, and guess what? It’s completely normal. It could mean many things, including the following:

• You’ve been overworking, and you need a break
• You need to assess your work-life balance
• You need to refresh your mind and body
• Changing your schedule could massively help you
• Take a day trip somewhere fresh and new
• You should set some meaningful personal goals

However, these are also signs you need a vacation. A vacation could really help you come back to work and normal life with a clear vision, a refreshed soul, and new motivation for life.

For most people, the harsh winters in parts of the U.S, including places like Chicago, NYC, and Boston, can make everything feel like a chore. Yet, it’s those times when you should consider a vacation.

4 - Sleep??? What is sleep???

According to the Sleep Foundation, all adults require seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Of course, we completely understand that you can easily forget about sleep when you’re young and ambitious.

Let’s be honest, turning into a human giraffe is not fun (they sleep for 30 minutes a day.) Then again, sleeping like a sloth isn’t great either – you just need the right balance.

Enough motivational quotes tell you to chase your dreams and forget sleeping, even though science proves it’s counterproductive. Here are some reasons why sleep is so important:

• A lack of sleep causes damage to our central nervous system, causing short term and long term issues to our health and career success
• Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety and stress, which is two things we clearly want to avoid at all costs
• In addition, sleep can contribute to a weakened immune system, and we all know how important our immune system has been in the previous year
• Long-term sleep deprivation – over several years – can contribute to heart disease and diabetes mellitus.
• Sleep deprivation can also lead to mood swings and unwanted emotions, which you really don’t want to bring into the workplace.

Sleep is important and vacation could be the ideal reset for your mind, body, and soul, and most importantly – it will make you healthier, more efficient, and probably more successful in your long-term career (and that’s a win-win situation.) Margaret Thatcher famously slept for 4 hours in her chair, but let’s be honest – rather her than us, right?

5 - Your work is 25/8

We understand that it's tempting to work 24/7 or 25/8 for many people. Hard work is essential in life, and your work ethic determines your success in life.

However, as important as a robust work ethos is, you’ll also need to take breaks when you’re working so hard! According to a study from the WHO, overworking can kill 745,000 people worldwide every year (slightly depressing). Here are some more interesting stats.

• Between 2000 and 2016, the amount of stroke-related deaths rose by 19% for those working very long hours
• In addition, the number of heart-related problems between those working long hours increased by 42%.
• Research conducted on the British Civil Service highlighted a big connection between metabolic syndrome and work stress.
• The CDC stated that over four years, physical overexertion was the second leading cause of employees not being able to work
• Furthermore, research suggests that overworking leads to poor diet, lack of hydration, and overall poor health.

With that said, it’s essential to keep a strong work ethic, but it’s equally as important to take some time off and escape the hustle and bustle.

What sounds relaxing to you? Perhaps a holiday in the jungles of Costa Rica? The beaches of Barbados? Or the restaurants of Italy? Either way, a vacation can get you into a positive mindset and get you ready for hard work once you return.

Find out more about a healthy work-life balance

If you have a sales team, they will need rest and some work-life balance to perform to the best of their ability. Uvaro is an excellent place to learn more about work-life balance in the sales profession.

Uvaro offers online courses, where sales professionals of all abilities can study the art of sales. Furthermore, everyone in our course will benefit from tech-focused learning, soft skills for the tech environment, and prospecting or discovery.

Start your career in tech sales today with us or advance your career! And if you're looking to build your team’s career, we are here for you. Whatever the case, contact us today.