Health in the News
Actually taking vacation days
Last year, LinkedIn joined the ranks of other tech companies by offering employees unlimited time off. But there was a problem with that.
Research reported in Health magazine shows that without set guidelines, some people never ask for a vacation. But it's key for your physical and mental health to take advantage of however much time off you're given.
Christine Carter, PhD, a sociologist at UC Berkeley says, "Not doing any work is crucial to reaping the benefits of vacation. Those benefits include reducing your risk of heart attacks and depression. She also says:
* Net productivity increases both before and after a vacation.
* Have a trusted colleague check your emails while you're away and organize them by priority so you don't return to a stuffed inbox.
* Schedule a re-entry day. Before going back to work, take a day at home to unpack, return messages and restock the fridge. You'll stay more relaxed if you're not scrambling to catch up.
x0516-091.txt
