Why high achievers struggle to take vacation
A recent Harvard Business Review article highlighted the many benefits of taking a vacation: improved well-being, reduced stress, better sleep, stronger relationships, and even increased productivity upon return. Most of us already know this. So why do so many successful, capable people still struggle to take time off?
As a burnout coach, I've noticed it's rarely about vacation days. It's about what taking a vacation brings up inside us.
For many high achievers, productivity has quietly become intertwined with worthiness. We feel valuable when we're contributing. Needed when we're solving problems. Important when we're carrying a heavy load. Without realizing it, we begin to measure our value by how much we do. Vacation interrupts that equation.
When we step away, uncomfortable questions can arise: Will things fall apart without me? Will people think I'm less committed? What if I miss something important? Who am I when I'm not accomplishing? These aren't vacation questions. They're identity questions. And they often reveal the hidden beliefs fueling burnout.
Many of us have learned to rest only after we've earned it. After the project. After the launch. After the deadline. After everyone else's needs have been met. The problem is that "after" never arrives. There is always more work. Another responsibility. Another reason to postpone ourselves.
The irony is that the very thing we're avoiding is often what we need most. Distance creates perspective. Space allows us to hear ourselves again. Rest replenishes the energy, creativity, patience, and wisdom that constant striving slowly drains away.
The Harvard Business Review article reminds us that vacations improve our well-being. But perhaps the deeper invitation is this: Can you allow yourself to rest before you've proven you deserve it? Can you trust that your value exists independent of your productivity? Can you believe that stepping away is not abandoning your responsibilities, but honoring your humanity?
Burnout recovery isn't simply about doing less. It's about learning that you are more than what you accomplish. And sometimes, the most courageous thing a high achiever can do is close the laptop, step away, and trust that enough has been done for today.
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!