The Psychology of Holidaying

Why do we feel guilty when asking for time off to relax. Sometimes it is because of deadlines or conflicting interests getting in the way. It can seem like our time is pre-booked and hence there is no room for taking some to relax. Current workplace trends and the importance on the here and now for deliverables means that you are incentivised to delay our gratification for later. Putting others before ourself can mean that timelines for booking leave get blown out and you end up in a helpless, repetitive cycle.

Another common reason for neglecting leave is to avoid long term insecurities. When having time to think and relax, these problems reappear at the forefront of our minds and can be stressful in a different way. Whether the problem is; cleaning the backyard, dealing with a flawed marriage or even evaluating personal goals / progress. They are difficult to discuss and having the exucse of busyness can be an easy "solve". In other words; burning ourselves to a crisp can seem a worthwhile sacrifice if its distracting us from the dissappointments of our own life. When its us who arent caring for our own body and mental health then really nobody else is to blame.

Certain workplaces have a "culture" which punishes taking time for yourself. If you are grinding in a business like this take time to think whether you are ok spending your time now, and whether life is going to be much better later becuase of it. Maybe you have already made decisions which mean there is really no choice here; your family or others are relying on you. There are always alternative options, even if it seems god has more say in your life than you. Taking time in this predicament can seem like a waste however, in my opinion taking time to think gives you more power in the long run.

I am in a position of privalege and lucky enough to be able to take time for myself. This is not condemning anyone who does not agree with me, it is simply my perspective.

The previously mentioned guilt can also appear when asking for a day off to recover from sickness / mental sickness. Its very rare for me to work a day in which my body is sending signals that I shouldn't work. You may think this is due to me being not busy, but it really is due to me knowing I will feel better AND work better having 1 day off and 1 day recovered, than 2 days burnt.

Look after your health. I seriously think low stress is an important factor to a long life. Dont compromise.