Vacation Time is Here!

But are you going to get away? Do you view vacation as a luxury, or as a necessity vital to your health? According to the 2011 Work Stress Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 77 percent of Americans are stressed about at least one thing related to their job. Top stressors included low pay, commuting, unreasonable workload and fear of being fired. But despite the stress, only 57 percent of workers use their vacation time. And this is one of the lowest percentages in the world, according to a joint survey by Reuters and the Paris based firm Ipsos Group. This may be due to a difficult job environment, says Dr. Thomas Thorsheim, a licensed psychologist and executive coach. Workers stay on the job to prove their value in order to increase their job security. Thorsheim also notes that the culture of workaholism in many companies encourages this behavior.

Yet vacation time is valuable. Research studies show that time away builds productivity. Continuously working without breaks can lead to an inability to put things into perspective and poor decision-making in the long term, according to Jim Banting, author of "Get a Dog; Don't Work Like One-Think Differently About Your Work-Life Balance."

And you don't have to spend lots of money and travel far --you can refresh yourself even by just spending a few days at home. Thorsheim reiterates that "vacations serve to reenergize and rejuvenate. It can be as simple as taking a day off to lounge around the house, go for a hike, plant some tomatoes or read a book. " He reminds us that everyone relaxes differently--so if you don't like laying around, seek an activity that can be stimulating, or learn something new.

Doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you do it away from the workplace and enjoy the break. Taking advantage of time off benefits the employee as well as the employer.

Summer is here-whatever you choose to do, enjoy!