Dare to vacate -- you deserve it

Vacation by definition is a break, a rest, time off. If that sounds like a concept from a different planet, it’s probably time you took one.

The recession has people working harder, and they’re using sleeping pills and stimulants to keep going. They’ve confused themselves with machines that must always be on, said Matthew Edlund in his book, “The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough.” But people are not machines, he said, and they need rest and recreation to recharge their spiritual, mental and social batteries.

So why are so many workers not pausing to recharge?

Greg Vetter, president of Atlanta-based organizational training and consulting firm Vetter Productivity, said it is because of their fear.

“With unemployment so much higher than the numbers show, people are afraid of being left behind, or being let go, " Vetter said. "Technology allows people to just keep working in order to keep up with this reactive business climate of constantly responding to e-mails, cellphones, text messages, etc. We all need to set some boundaries.”

Work can become addictive in the way eating, shopping or playing video games can, Vetter said. “An addiction is a behavior to inappropriately handle fear,” he said. “A work addiction robs people of life and health. When I walk through corporate America, I see a lot of people with gray faces; there’s a lot of sickness there. Wouldn’t it be ironic if you lost your job because you didn’t take care of yourself?”

To make a change, you first have to be aware of what you’re doing and decide to do things differently. The experts say it will feel uncomfortable at first, but deciding not to work on the weekends or to take a week in the mountains will pay off in huge dividends.

“You’ll recharge so that you can be more productive later. You may even gain a new perspective or a better way to work, and you’ll definitely improve your family dynamic,” Vetter said.

Here are some tips on how to ease out the door and enjoy the time off.

Set the date. “A vacation can be a good motivator to get organized, reset priorities and work ahead to get the most important projects done before you leave,” Vetter said. “You might get energized just thinking about getting away.”

Fill in staff and clients about your plans early.

Leave appropriate messages on your answering machines and e-mail to say that you’ll be out of the office on vacation and won’t be checking messages.

Appoint a back-up person to handle emergencies and call you if needed. Offer to do the same for her while she’s on vacation.

Don’t take work with you. This is a challenge since work and life are intertwined on our laptops and phones. “You may need e-mail to check on your parents or friends, but create a separate inbox or folder for work and drag those messages there. Turn off the preview option, so you can’t read them,” Vetter said.

Don’t over-schedule activities on vacation. Leave time for spontaneity and daydreaming.

Once you return, do a "brain drain."

“Create a folder and write down all the thoughts you had on vacation,” Vetter said. Uninterrupted, your brain may have been solving problems on its own while you were playing.