Twenty percent of us would take a lower salary in exchange for more vacation time, according to a 2006 Expedia and Ipsos Reid survey. No surprises there -- who, in these frantic times, doesn't want another week on the beach or at the cottage? What's shocking is that despite our desires, we're not even taking the days we have -- on average, Canadians only get 19 vacation days, and we don't even take two of them.
"We want more vacation time, yet we're not great at using all of the time that we have available to us," says Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress and wellness specialist. "There's always one more job, one more project, and sometimes we put those things ahead of our me time."
But it's important to take some time for ourselves. We're more productive if we take the time to recharge -- regular vacations prevent burnout, help our bodies return to a state of calm from high everyday stresses and rejuvenate our minds by challenging us. Problem is, sometimes you feel like you need a vacation to recover from time off.
Here are Beuermann-King's tips on how to get organized and have a stress-free vacation.
Working for the weekend: Minimize the impact at work
Many companies are still hesitant to see the importance of vacation days, although progressive companies are beginning to realize their value. No matter which kind of corporation you work for, talk to your boss or manager about timing and try to pick a week that will be slower at office, "so you're not doing two week's worth of work the week before," says Beuermann-King.
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