The Importance of Annual Leave and Self-care
- Corazon Health
- 17 hours ago
- 8 min read
Creating a supportive and inclusive work culture that encourages employees to take time off work and promotes self-care.
WHY does annual leave and self-care Matter?
Taking annual leave and practising self-care is key to protecting, maintaining and improving our physical, emotional, social and mental wellbeing. Spending time away from work and focusing on ourselves allows us to switch off mentally and recharge physically. This, in turn, helps us to have a more positive mindset, be more resilient to challenges, achieve better results, and be at our best both at work and at home.
Increased Productivity
Annual leave allows you to return to work with renewed energy, clear mind and focus. When you feel rested and rejuvenated, you can find it easier to process new information and concentrate on different tasks. Your performance is improved, you are more engaged in your work and you are likely to produce higher quality output. Moreover, giving your mind regular breaks promotes creativity and help you to be more inventive and think outside the box. It allows you to look at things from a different perspective, come up with new ideas and find solutions to problems.
Improved Health
Whether you are working in the office, laboratory or factory, you need proper breaks to give your body a chance to recover from prolonged sitting or standing in fixed positions. Continuous work without breaks can cause long-term physical problems such as Musculoskeletal Disorders or Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Moreover, by letting work dominate your life, you may not have enough time and energy for regular physical activity, which can help to prevent some, and manage many, common chronic conditions, such as hypertension. Also, working under pressure and not allowing any breaks can cause high levels of stress which can lead to anxiety or depression.
Reduced risk of Injuries And Accidents
Lack of proper rest over a long period of time can cause fatigue. This can result in decreased awareness, slower reactions, lack of attention, memory lapses, absent-mindedness, underestimation of risk, as well as reduced coordination. When you are exhausted, you are more likely to make mistakes which can lead to workplace injuries and accidents. That’s why it’s vital that you have a good rest so you can stay focused and alert to reduce likelihood of fatigue-induced errors.
Better Social Life
Focusing too much on work and not allowing yourself time off can take a toll on your relationships with family and friends. Regular breaks throughout the year allow you to spend more quality time with your loved ones, develop a much closer understanding of each other, share the same experiences and create lasting memories. The link between social connections and mental health is clear with numerous studies showing that regular engagement with others can boost feelings of happiness and reduce the risk of mental health issues.
Increased Self-Awareness
Having a break from work and practising self-care gives you a chance to pause, engage with the moment, notice what is going on around you, and appreciate little things. It can help you to discover yourself and focus on your thoughts, emotions, and feelings. It can also give you an opportunity to escape from a daily routine, do different things and explore new places, which can ultimately bring you happiness.
Failing to utilise full leave allowance
Despite the importance of annual leave, self-care, and work-life balance, many of us are reluctant to take time out from work. Recent report from Timetastic shows that a full workweek (or 5 days) was the average amount of unused holidays in the UK in 2024. There may be a number of reasons why we are not making the most of our annual leave allowance. From heavy workloads, tight deadlines, fear of falling behind, unfinished projects, staff shortages to workplace culture, expectations, and lack of job security. Some of us might even feel extremely involved in our work and find it difficult to detach ourselves from your work psychologically and emotionally, which may be a sign of workaholism. However, no matter how busy we are or how much we enjoy our job, we need to take a break from work. Lack of adequate rest can have a number of negative effects on our mental and physical health and puts us at a higher risk of burnout. We may feel exhausted, overwhelmed or frustrated, loose motivation, find it difficult to concentrate, have mood swings, experience sleeping difficulties and get sick more frequently due to compromised immune system.
Taking Valuable Time Away From Work
Many of us may associate annual leave with going on holidays abroad, but the main point of annual leave is to have a moment of work-free rest and relaxation, regardless how we will spend this time. Choose something that will help you reset your mind and relax: head to a local forest, grab a picnic, explore a nearby town, treat yourself to a SPA day, organise a weekend away, or just simply spend a day at home reading your favourite book. Head to our blog post to get some self-care ideas that can inspire you to plan your time off. Here are also some tips that can help you prepare for your annual leave so that you don't have to worry about what’s going on back at work while you are away:
Plan your leave during quieter times or after the completion of significant projects, as it will allow you to fully enjoy your time off without worrying about unfinished tasks.
Set up an out of office email explaining that you are on annual leave. Include your date of return and the contact details of a colleague in case of an emergency.
Avoid booking any meetings on the day before your annual leave and instead, spend the final day tying up any loose ends.
Check who can cover your work while you are away, delegate tasks and provide your colleagues with a detailed brief. This will give you a peace of mind that any important tasks will be completed and you won’t return to chaos.
Ensure you don't have any meetings booked right after you come back from annual leave to allow yourself to catch up with all emails and enquiries.
One of the most important aspects of making the most of your annual leave and feeling rejuvenated, is the ability to fully disconnect from work. Set clear boundaries ahead of your time off, communicate with colleagues and supervisors about your leave dates, and ensure they understand that you will be unavailable during this time. Moreover, avoid the temptation to check emails or respond to work-related messages during your annual leave. How to fully switch off during annual leave and how colleagues can help article from Mental Health UK has further tips on what you and your colleagues can do to make time off relaxing and stress-free.
PREVENTING BURNOUT AND Encouraging Staff To Take Annual Leave
"A culture of presenteeism and silence around stress may be putting people at risk of burnout, with one in five (21%) admitting that their productivity or performance was impacted by high levels of pressure or stress (...)"
The biggest risk in staff not taking their annual leave and neglecting self-care is that they can eventually suffer from burnout. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises burnout as an occupational phenomenon and since burnout can be a cause for mental ill health and a risk factor for developing mental health conditions like depression, it should be taken seriously. Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by an excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout doesn't happen overnight - it is a gradual process over time. It is often the result of high pressure environment, negative work culture, lack of support from managers and colleagues, intense workloads, tight deadlines, or unrealistic expectations. Burnout can manifest through physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms, which can affect daily life, work performance, and overall wellbeing. These can include:
Physical symptoms
Physical exhaustion and fatigue
Digestive issues and stomach problems
Loss of appetite
Insomnia and sleep disturbances
Frequent illnesses due to lowered immunity
Frequent headaches
Muscle pain
Issues with breathing
Emotional symptoms
Feeling helpless, trapped, and/or defeated
Self-doubt and sense of failure
Loss of motivation
Feeling lonely and isolated
Feeling overwhelmed
Lacking sense of satisfaction and achievement
Loss of interest and enjoyment
Persistent feelings of worry and anxiety
Behavioural symptoms
Withdrawing from responsibilities
Procrastinating
Being reliant on food, drugs or alcohol to cope
Having outbursts and taking frustrations out on others
Higher absenteeism and/or constantly being late for work
Employee burnout can prompt a multitude of problems in the workplace, including presenteeism, reduced productivity, lack of engagement and motivation, increased absenteeism, conflicts with colleagues, mistakes, or accidents at work. Therefore, it's crucial for managers to recognise the symptoms and stages of burnout early on, encourage staff to take time off and promote work-life balance and the importance of self-care.
6 ways to encourage employees to take time off:
Set clear policies and procedures: Ensure that company’s policies and procedures around annual leave are clear and easily accessible so that employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities. The policy should include information about the number of days employees are entitled to, how they can request time off, approval procedures, any rollover provisions, as well as any restrictions or limitations on when leave can be taken.
Simplify the process of booking annual leave: When the process of requesting annual leave is straightforward and concise, employees are more likely to use their holiday allowance. You may want to use an HR software for it, which also includes a mobile app allowing staff to see their entitlement and request or cancel annual leave at the time that is convenient to them.
Remind staff to use their annual leave allowance: You could use company newsletters, intranet, noticeboards, individual emails and one-to-one meetings to remind employees to plan and use their annual leave thorough the year. This can also help prevent employees from building up an excessive amount of leave to take at the end of the leave year which could cause disruption to business operations.
Lead by example: When managers and business leaders take their own annual leave, it sends a powerful message that they value taking time off and that they expect employees to do the same.
Understand the reasons for not taking annual leave and offer support: Some members of the staff might feel that they are unable to take their annual leave and it’s important to understand the reasons behind it. This may be caused for instance by high workload, unfinished projects, tight deadlines, etc. You should provide support and resources to employees to help them plan their annual leave and manage their workload before and after they take time off. This could include helping with a handover and providing training for colleagues who will be covering work.
Help staff save money on days out: Introduce an employee discount scheme - a benefit that allows your staff to enjoy savings on a wide range of products and services. Discounts on entrance tickets, restaurants, transport or accommodation can help encourage staff to make the most of their time off. If you already have a discount scheme in place, remind staff how they can access it and reap the benefits of deals and discounts.
If employee is showing any signs of burnout or they report it, a targeted action must be taken in order to prevent it from getting worse. Conversation Guide: How to support an employee experiencing burnout from Mental Health UK provides guidance on how to have a conversation with employee in order to understand the root causes of burnout and provide appropriate support.
Annual leave is an essential component of thriving and sustainable workplaces. It isn't just about getting a break—it's about maintaining physical and mental health, improving work-life balance, and enhancing overall productivity. Employers should create a supportive and inclusive work culture that encourages employees to take holidays, promotes self-care and emphasises the importance of work-life balance. This, in turn, will lead to a more engaged, motivated and productive workforce.
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