Are you vacation deprived?

Are you having trouble concentrating? Feeling pessimistic? A little grumpy? Suffering from headaches? A lack of focus? Sleep problems? Are you finding it difficult to use up your work vacation entitlement? If so, read on, because you could be suffering from vacation deprivation.

What's keeping you from your vacation?
The second annual Expedia.ca/Ipsos-Reid poll, revealed that 24 per cent of employed Canadians do not take all of their yearly-allotted vacation days. Survey participants cited work (time) and money as being the two most significant reasons for not taking their annual vacation entitlement.

Twenty-three per cent of employed Canadians aren't taking their full vacation allotment because of work issues, says stress and wellness expert Beverly Beuermann-King. "Canadians are conditioned to value productivity as opposed to work-life balance."

But too much work and not enough play can result in negative physiological, physical and behavioural issues. "Time away from work, especially stress-free time on vacation, is essential to maintaining mental and physical health, as well as relationships with friends and family," says Beuermann-King.

It's often hard for some people to disengage from work, even while on vacation, as evidenced further by this survey statistic: Fifteen per cent of Canadians check their work e-mail while on vacation. But, as part of the vacation experience, it's important to disengage completely from day-to-day stressors.