Have you worked during the holidays? You may have "Guilty Vacation Syndrome"

Do you consider yourselves "slaves" to your jobs? According to the data, the answer is most likely yes.

A recent poll found that 91% of European workers indicated their workload prevented them from taking vacations. Even when on vacation, 62% of respondents reported working over the holidays, making it unwind truly unwind. Another study asked 20,297 professionals, "Do you think you can entirely disengage from work during your vacation?" Moreover half (54%) of respondents said "No" to this question.

How and when we work is changing dramatically. According to American Time Use Stories statistics from 2018, 30% of full-time employees continued to work on weekends and holidays. However, the recent trend of remote employment as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak has worsened the problem by eroding the formal boundaries that divide work from time off.

As a result of our excessive availability and flexibility, the irrational desire to exhibit a certain level of professional attention, or the anxiety of seeing the mailbox filled with fresh requests, we found ourselves working even on vacation.

So it's official: Guilty Vacation real is a genuine thing.

Guilty Vacation Syndrome is a genuine workplace phenomenon that is commonly characterized as "the persistent impulse to postpone or delay a location due to guilt" as well as "the insistent need to work."n on his vacation «

According to Perkbox, a UK startup specializing in employee perks, a stunning 66% of UK workers have suffered Guilty Vacation Syndrome at least once in their lives.

This illness is thought to be more prevalent among individuals who most need a break from work yet are unable to take true vacations. According to the study, Guilty Vacation Syndrome affects women more than men (67% versus 59%) and increases significantly as people advance in their careers.

But what are the social and psychological variables that drive people to work even on their much-anticipated beach vacation? What motivates us to open the computer to check e-mails instead of spending our vacation days with friends or family?

Of course, technological advancements have made life much easier. With abundant Wi-Fi possibilities and access to corporate documents through the cloud, the art of "working from anywhere" has become difficult (if not impossible) to justify and/or get a break in the last two years. full.

The work culture that we have now praised the perpetual overflow of labor. Although all professionals are theoretically capable of logging in and out at regular intervals or taking days off, an "always-on" mentality, as the Americans say, means that work never truly ceases. On the contrary, each notice, email, or slack message received worsens the situation.

Guilty Vacation Syndrome kept us glued to our electronics during our getaway, resulting in a vacation that did us more damage than good. Continuing to work during a period set aside for vacation might lead to major consequences. It is commonly understood that taking breaks from work to disconnect and recharge, to take personal time, is necessary to prevent the accumulation of stress in the workplace from generating more significant long-term impacts, such as burnout.

Taking use of vacation days so enhances overall well-being. They reduce performance anxiety and stress, enhance interpersonal connections with friends and family, and even improve physical health by lowering neurochemicals that can have a detrimental influence on physical well-being. Not only that, but a missed but well-deserved vacation (in the genuine meaning of the phrase, that is, without even checking emails) might reduce productivity at work. Taking time away from work broadens our viewpoints, allowing us to be more creative and handle challenges that come daily. 

To summarize, while it might be difficult to truly detach from work, it is important to avoid falling victim to Guilty Vacation Syndrome. Remember this over the forthcoming Christmas season.

Thank you for reading.

See you next time!

Wero