It’s not just a rumour, vacations are good for business. Sure, if you’re lucky you can unplug on vacation, but do you worry about the sunami of emails waiting for you when you come home? We all need to not only increase our use of vacations, but we need to increase the the quality of vacation time. Immunize yourself against a toxic negative attitude. Set your out-of-office auto-reply past your return date, not to the first day you get home. Take a day to catch up, get organized, unpack. Don’t erode your vacation’s attitude and benefits the first day home and in the office.

You are at risk, stop being selfish, you deserve the benefits from your vacation from reaction time, creativity, and engagement. Foregoing that vacation in terms of health and spirit means impulsiveness, poor concentration, and negativity. You know this person, too, right?

Give your brain time to unpack, change gears a little at a time, hold on to that low blood pressure as long as possible. Use creative scheduling with breaks between to get up, roam, put off those extra long and brain sucking meetings. Bring a reminder of your vacation to work and put it on your desk or in plain view It might be a photo, shell, desk jellyfish paperweight, signature resort baseball cap, a talisman to reinforce your new memories and for other’s to comment on. Create the chance to share your vacation experiences in conversations.

Share your choice to take vacation in discussions with others who may have missed vacation. Encourage others you work with to take a vacation. Co-workers taking vacation time is a direct benefit to you as well. Noticed someone’s never on vacation, never out of the office? You know who I’m talking about. They’re on automatic suffer mode for the company. Your vacation is good for business and good for life. Vacations are an opportunity to add adrenalin, romance and creativity to your performance and well-being.

What’s your vacation balance? Are you a vacation violator? I dare you to pick up the phone and start planning a disconnected vacation, be honest about it.  Are their any stamps in your passport? What? You don’t have a passport? Step one: get your license to be free and apply for a passport so you can take the vacation, make changes in your lifestyle that include improving your performance, your relationships, your business!  After all, research has shown that vacations planned months in advance are restorative vs the stress of vacations booked last minute.

Vacations are good for you, your friends, your family, your team, your employees, the guy next door, the coworker in the next booth, the bartender, the cashier, your special group, everyone you come into contact with, speak to and have an impact or encounter with. You have a responsibility to reverse this disturbing trend, to shout out “I deserve my vacation!” To boldly go where many men/women only talk about going … on a real vacation! Preparing for vacation with a professional travel planner can be smooth and seamless, don’t stress yourself out trying to do it alone, don’t be defeated before you even pack.

WANTED: Vacation Dreamers, Kick-Butt Fun Travelers, Romantic Couples, Overworked  and Underloved Travelers, Adrenalin-Missing Travelers, License To Be Free Travelers, Real Vacation Travelers, Families  Who Need To Get Away, BFF’s, MIA Travelers (Missing In Action)

Pamela (PJ) Ott, Road Warrior, a little on the wild side, always on your side