How to Take Stress Out of Taking Time Off
As much as the idea of taking time off work sounds refreshing, many workers fail to take the required time off due to fear of requesting their employers. Pre-vacation fear has been triggered by the guilt of being portrayed as bad workers and possibly failing to receive favors in the future from managers. People also have the guilt of feeling that things might not work well while they are away, therefore, adopting the fear of requesting to take a leave. Here are reasons why Jonathan Osler believes that professionals should not be stressed about taking time off.
A break is necessary.
Professionals ought to reassure themselves that taking time off is necessary for their mental health, work, and life balance. Taking a break is also necessary to attain improved work performance. Once someone gets reassured that taking a break is essential for their personal and work life, they gain the courage to move ahead and request to take time off. There is a reason why sick days and off days are part of every work culture, and people ought to understand their importance. Once a professional understands that taking a break might be a giant leap to their career advancement in that it allows them to refresh and get back to work energized, the fear of requesting time out will fade away.
Preparation
Educator Osler comments that adequate preparation before asking to take time out gives one the confidence to approach their employers fearlessly. Taking time to assess the workload and projects that need to be completed before the departure date enables one to prepare themselves and put things in order. This plan allows one to make a things-to-do list and schedule their time efficiently. No matter what comes up that needs to be prioritized, they can schedule everything to work according to their plan. Making a plan to complete everything one week before the departure and strictly sticking to it gives one the flexibility to address everything that comes unexpectedly.
No ideal time to take a break
People get stressed with the idea of taking time off work from the fear that something might go wrong while they are away. There is also the fear that no one can do the job efficiently while away. Pre-work time off stress can be classified into two categories; to complete the work before departure and what happens when one is away from the office. People always try to keep things in line before departing for leave. Jonathan Osler suggests that once employees understand that there will be no perfect time to go ahead and take time off, they gain the confidence to ask for the break.
Taking time out is not as easy as it sounds, but with the proper conviction, the idea becomes probable. Many benefits come with taking a break from work, and understanding them helps eliminate the fear of asking for that time off. Planning to complete the work before departing and having mental relaxation helps one reduce the stress involved with pre-vacation anxiety.