Vacations are important! Joyce’s Career Tip of the Week
I recently pulled out a calendar to work on some activity planning for fall and realized that we are only about four weeks away from the start of the fall 2018 semester. Over the past few months, you might have been busy with an internship, summer job, research project, classes, competition, study abroad, volunteering or travel. Learning new things, building skills and professional networking can be the result of a variety of experiences.
Soon, I’ll be writing about getting ready for the upcoming semester and talking about the events we are planning. Today, I want to step away from my usual “to-do” lists of career planning and job search strategies and talk about taking a break. Have you had a vacation this summer?
Did you know that vacations improve physical and mental health, well-being, and familial relationships; decrease burnout and increase happiness? Vacations reduce stress and result in better sleep. Finally, taking the break from work actually increases one’s productivity. Doctors and psychologists have lots to say about the benefits of vacations. (I’ve provided the links to several articles at the end of this column.)
Your college years are an opportunity to begin establishing habits that will lead to a healthy and successful life. Learning to manage the demands of classes, co-curricular activities, homework, projects and work will give you the expertise of time management. A critical component of managing your time is achieving a healthy life/work balance — a real challenge for American workers in the 21st century.
Often, we hear the demands of what we “have to do” as being louder and clearer than what is necessary for us to do to be our best selves. As this summer break is coming to an end, if you haven’t done so already, schedule a time for vacation. It doesn’t have to be exotic and/or expensive, but it should be relaxing, rejuvenating and fun. It is important and you deserve it!
Taking a vacation is good for your health — really!
The U.S. is the Most Overworked Developed Nation in the World
4 Scientific Reasons Vacations Are Good for Your Health
Joyce Donahue is a career counselor in the Fulton Schools Career Center. She is a Nationally Certified Career Counselor and professional member of the National Career Development Association.