Are Vacations Overrated?

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Last week I blogged about how to reduce the stress of an overflowing in-box when you return from a vacation, but being buried under email mountain isn’t the only anxiety the annual week off brings to many office workers. On his blog, career pundit Marty Nemko goes so far as to list the downsides of your average summer pilgrimage to the beach or site of historical interest, and comes up with quite a few, from finding a pet sitter, to the horror that is contemporary flying and overpriced food and drink. So what does he recommend instead?

Consider replacing your seven-day vacation with seven one-day staycations: Every month for the next seven months, take one day in which you, from home, spend it exactly as you’d like –unlike that interminable bus tour of Chicago or the tourist-trap restaurant you like less than your local hole-in-the-wall. Perhaps sleep late, take the time for homemade (okay, from a great mix) scones and coffee in bed (cost $3), take a walk with the dog in your favorite park, catch a matinee, lunch at your favorite local spot, hit that museum or shopping area you’ve long wanted to visit, have dinner at a special place–sure, splurge a little. Go home to your comfy bed and make love. Now, multiply that by seven: one day-long staycation a month, as needed, with none of the liabilities cited in previous paragraphs. Wouldn’t you have derived more pleasure, less pain, at a tiny fraction of the cost? Hey, it’s even green: no thousands of miles of gas spent.

While Nemko makes a logical case, personally I am skeptical. First off, because it takes me a while to decompress and actually relax. One day would be nice, but it wouldn’t cut it. Second I think many of us need vacations that go on just a bit too long, or are a bit less than we were hoping for, to re-energize us for work. After all, there’s nothing like the feeling of actually realizing you are finally getting bored on the beach and looking forward to returning to work to boost morale.

What’s your take — are long vacations more trouble than they’re worth?

Americans Suffering from “Vacation Starvation” Top Tips to Avoid Vacation Re-Entry Shock Too Much Work Causes Heart Attacks: It��s Time to Book that Summer Vacation