When was the last time you took a vacation?

Some of us believe that success comes from constantly “hitting the pavement and grinding” day in and day out. After all isn’t that what we women do? We are always “on”, ready to solve the next problem that comes our way or to take care of the next person who needs our help.  

Unfortunately, this behavior will take its toll on us and on how we relate to coworkers, family and friends.

But if we disconnect for a while, especially from the demands of the job, we will reap the benefits in our physical, emotional, and mental health, and we will become more effective in all areas of our lives. 

The benefits of taking time to reflect, regroup and regenerate is huge. You can do this by taking time off from work or by taking some time away from the rigors of housework. I believe if this is done on a consistent basis , it will work wonders in your life.

Here are some of the benefits.

First, it can help you relax. Being in constant “go mode” puts a strain on your physical, mental and emotional health. The body can’t function well when it’s in constant fight or flight mode. Before long, it starts to show the effects. For instance, you may notice that you are more anxious, or you may develop muscle tension, particularly in the neck and back muscles, or  you may feel the effects of heartburn, and minor aches and pains.  Finding the time to step away from your everyday responsibilities for a while can help decrease stress and anxiety and may help to resolve other symptoms that result from working constantly without a break. 

Second, it can help change your perspective. I remember a particularly stressful time on the job when making the decision to take some time off helped to change my perspective. At the time, the only things I could have “seen” were the problems I had to solve and the unwillingness of some team members to meet deadlines and cooperate with each other. After taking a break and returning to work, I still saw those issues, but my new perspective allowed me to focus on discovering ways to garner the help of my team members to work on solving the problems we were facing—instead of focusing on the actual problems. This minor shift in perspective, made a world of difference.

Third, it can improve your communication with family, friends and team members at work. Once you are relaxed and your perspective has changed, things will become clearer. So communication that was tense and ineffective has the potential to be relaxed and more effective after you have stepped away for a while. Communicating effectively includes your ability to get your message across and the ability to listen to, and hear what other people are saying. When you take the time to listen, your relationships will improve for the better. 

Why not take the time to do the following:

• Reflect on the last time you took a break from the job.
• If it has been more than three months, make arrangements to take some time off now.
• If you are just returning from vacation, make arrangements to take another break in about 3-4 months from now.
• Reflect on and then write down the benefits you received from your time away from work