Take a Quick Vacation for Balance

You’ve probably heard the old expression about all work and no play making you a dull boy or girl. It sounds all well and good, but all the play in the world won’t reduce that stack of work that’s piling up on your desk. It won’t make that deadline go away or miraculously add more hours to an already full day. No, you’ll need to keep your nose to the proverbial grindstone if you want to get ahead. Then suddenly you realize you’ve become an obsessive, grouchy shell of your formerly cheerful self.

Maybe it’s time to consider taking a break.

The expression about all work and no play is often misunderstood. What it really means is finding a balance between accomplishing things and taking a little time to enjoy those accomplishments. Can your business really not live without you for a few days? If it truly can’t, then it might be time to reconsider how you’re doing things.

There’s a difference between a quick vacation and a year-long sabbatical to the top of a mountain in an obscure country to study under a guru and ‘find yourself.’ Even in the twenty-first century it’s hard to run a business that remotely. No, what we mean by quick vacation is a long weekend, perhaps a camping trip or a romantic cruise.

Even a few days away can help recharge our batteries. And when we return we feel refreshed and ready to take on new challenges. Research has shown time and again, that taking some occasional time off leads us to become more productive, not less. We’re more relaxed, less irritable and suddenly solutions seem to flow for problems that seemed insurmountable just a few short days ago.

Getting away also allows us to gain new experiences. The broader our horizons, the more opportunity we have to come up with new ideas. For example, Bernard Sadow, a luggage company executive, was on one such trip. Burdened with two heavy suitcases, he noticed several airport employees pushing around a machine on a dolly. Thus, the idea for wheeled luggage was born. It never would have happened had Sadow been sitting in the office. One study of patent holders noted that half of those inventors credited a serendipitous event as inspiration for their ideas.

Even if you don’t build a better mousetrap upon your return, you’ll still feel better, and there’s no substitute for good health. You’ll also get a chance to reconnect with family and friends who would probably like to see you from time to time.

So take that quick vacation. You’ve earned it. Your body, mind and maybe even your sanity will thank you for it.