The problem isn't that you're taking vacation…

I recently revisited a Harvard Business Review article titled "Don't Work on Vacation. Seriously." As a burnout coach, I found myself nodding the entire way through. Not because the message was revolutionary, but because it's something so many of us know and still struggle to do.

The authors share research showing that when we work during vacations, weekends, or holidays, we enjoy those experiences less. Even more surprising, we may return to work feeling less motivated than if we had fully unplugged in the first place. Think about that for a moment.

Many of us check email on vacation because we believe we're reducing stress. We tell ourselves it's only a few minutes, that we just need to stay caught up, that we'll relax more if we know what's happening. But often those "few minutes" are enough to pull our minds back into problem-solving mode. Instead of being fully present with the people we're with, instead of noticing the ocean or the mountains or the laughter or the quiet, part of us remains at work. And burnout thrives in that space.

Not because we're working too much on any one day, but because we're never fully off. Never fully resting. Never fully recovering.

I often see this with high achievers. The issue isn't vacation days. The issue is permission. Permission to be unavailable. Permission to trust others. Permission to stop carrying everything. Permission to remember that your organization survived before you arrived and will survive while you're gone.

A vacation isn't valuable because you're in Hawaii, Italy, or a cabin in the woods. It's valuable because for a brief period of time, you remember that you are more than your responsibilities. You are more than your inbox. You are more than your output. And perhaps that is what makes true rest so powerful.

This summer, if you're fortunate enough to take some time away, I hope you'll consider leaving work behind. Not because work isn't important, but because you are.

P.S. Ready to work together? I have a few openings for 1:1 coaching and am available for burnout workshops. Reach out to explore what's possible!