Find out how to enhance the wellbeing effects of taking a vacation
It goes without saying that taking a vacation is good for us. Whilst we all get the opportunity to recover at the end of each workday/shift, if we’re working long hours or dealing with demanding non-work matters then this brief respite is unlikely to be sufficient.
Taking an extended period of time away from work, we get to recover from the stress and strain of work, recharge and return refreshed.
Unfortunately, the improved wellbeing and performance effects tend to be short-lived. We can feel it start to fade almost as soon as we’re back at our desks.
Fortunately work-recovery scientists have discovered there are ways we can boost the beneficial effects from taking a break (better health, wellbeing and productivity) and hold onto them for longer.
This article distills the findings of 20 plus research studies into 13 do-able actions that optimise the wellbeing benefits associated with taking a vacation and delay their fade-out.
Some may be obvious, some may be a surprise but they’re all worth keeping in mind.
Before you go
1. Clear the deck as much as you can
Worrying about things left undone keeps us from leaving work behind (7).
Spending time in the weeks leading up to a break getting things to a milestone or end point will help you psychologically detach from work.
2. Delegate tasks to be done in your absence
You’ve no doubt noticed that we return to work a little more enthusiastic than we were when we left, our efficiency is also known to improve after a holiday. Research has found that these effects can quickly fade if we come back to a high workload (7).
By planning ahead and delegating what you can to others, you’ll ensure things don’t pile up too much in your absence and thus maintain the holiday engagement boost.
3. Find a way to have your inbox managed
There is nothing worse than spending the first day back at work weeding email.
If possible, give someone access to your inbox with instructions on how to ready it for your return.
Alternatively, switch on some email inbox rules whilst you’re “out of office” so that items in your inbox are sorted automatically. If you dare, archive the lot.
4. Agree an emergency contact protocol
Despite doing the above, there may be times when you need to be contacted.
Make it clear when it’s appropriate, how it’s to be done and how/when you will respond (see Action 9.).
Whilst away
5. Minimise holiday hassles
If your vacation ends up being just as taxing as a week at work don’t expect to feel that rested on your return!
Where you can, actively avoid situations that are likely to lead to feelings of discord or tension such as tight schedules, heavy traffic or difficult people (8).
If you do find yourself dealing with holiday hassles, find ways to actively relax. (7).
6. Do things that help you forget about work
The more you’re able to not think about work, the more beneficial the break.
Entertainment, recreation, socialising and cultural activities have all been found to help us mentally distance ourselves from work (6).
Also, so that you aren’t reminded of work, keep any work devices out of sight. Preferably by leaving them behind.
7. Do things you like and want to do
Recovery research suggests that it’s not enough to just be released from work demands (remove stressors), we must also actively choose to engage in activities that we enjoy and are known to enhance wellbeing (9).
For example, low energy activities (walking in nature, reading, listening to music) help us to mentally unwind and physically relax.
Doing or learning new things fulfills our need to develop and grow, whilst spending time with others feeds our need for connection. Being able to choose how we spend our time gives us a sense of control and autonomy.
8. Savour the good times
Actively reflecting on pleasurable experiences, known as savouring, is believed to increase the positive emotions associated with an activity long after it has finished.
Whilst away collect souvenirs, journal and talk about the positive experiences you’re having. This helps intensify the good feelings associated with the experience and creates stronger memories that will serve you on your return.
9. Engage with work on your terms
Research has found that if we engage with work through choice and if what we do is not effortful there is little negative impact to our wellbeing whilst away (10).
However, if we’re constantly allowing work to interrupt our time off (taking calls, for example) then the beneficial effects of our time away are negligible (3).
10. Don’t assume longer is better
It turns out that even if you go away for a fortnight or more, the benefits to your health and wellbeing are little different to a shorter break.
Whilst our health and wellbeing improve rapidly from the start of any length of vacation, it peaks on the eighth day (11). And, regardless of duration, the beneficial effects start to fade within 1-2 weeks.
On your return
11. Return to work on a Wednesday
To maximise the positive wellbeing effects derived during your time away and help you readjust to work mode, ease yourself back into work by giving yourself a short week.
By returning to work on a Wednesday, rather than a Monday, you’ll benefit more from your holiday (10).
12. Keep doing things that help you to detach
The health, wellbeing and productivity benefits derived from being away will begin to disappear as we pick up the load again.
But we can slow down the fade-out by continuing to do things after work that helped us to savour our holiday experiences, detach and relax whilst away (1).
13. Book a long weekend
The positive effects of a vacation will subside within a few weeks of returning to work. They have been found to return to pre-vacation levels around 3-4 weeks (11), but it can abate just a few days post-holiday, depending on workload and what we do outside of working hours.
To continue to proactively support your health, wellbeing and productivity consider booking a long weekend (home or away) in 5-8 weeks time.
In a nutshell
Taking an extended break from work can be good for us, it improves our health and wellbeing and, depending on how we spend our time, re-energises us.
Unfortunately, these benefits can be short lived, the positive effect of a vacation begins to wane after a few days and fades entirely within 3-4 weeks.
By preparing well before your break and continuing to regularly engage in restorative activities on your return, you can prolong the beneficial effects of time away from work.
Take care of you.
Further reading
Brosch, E.-K., Binnewies, C., Gröning, C., & Forthmann, B. (2024). The role of general work engagement and well-being for vacation effects and for vacation fade-out. Applied Psychology, 73(2), 509–539.
De Bloom, J., Geurts, S., & Kompier, M. (2010). Vacation from work as prototypical recovery opportunity. Gedrag & Organisatie, 23, 333-349
De Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., & Kompier, M. A. (2012). Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 28(4), 305–318.
De Bloom, J., Geurts, S. & Kompier, M. (2013) Vacation (after-) effects on employee health and well-being, and the role of vacation activities, experiences and sleep. J Happiness Stud 14, 613–633.
De Bloom, J., Nawijn, J., Geurts, S., Kinnunen, U., & Korpela, K. (2017). Holiday travel, staycations, and subjective well-being. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(4), 573–588.
Dasouza, Edgar. (2024). Exploring resource-providing vacation activities and recovery experiences: a study in the context of Goa. Leisure/ Loisir. 1-30.
Fritz, C., & Sonnentag, S. (2006). Recovery, well-being, and performance-related outcomes: The role of workload and vacation experiences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 936–945.
Packer, J. (2021). Taking a break: Exploring the restorative benefits of short breaks and vacations. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights.
Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2007). The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12(3), 204–221.
Strauss-Blasche, G., Muhry, F., Lehofer, M., Moser, M., & Marktl, W. (2004). Time course of wellbeing after a three-week resort-based respite from occupational and domestic demands: Carryover, contrast and situation effects. Journal of Leisure Research, 36, 293–309.
Westman, M., & Eden, D. (1997). Effects of a respite from work on burnout: Vacation relief and fade-out. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 516–527
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