Are Holidays Good for Mental Health? Yes… But Not for Long

Have you left the beach, relaxed and returned to work in September? Vacations are thought to help workers regain the energy needed to return to work full-time. However, the reality may be different for employees who are experiencing issues such as stress, anxiety and burnout. In recent years, several studies have examined the relationship between vacations and well-being at work.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational Health, El Pais had access to, concluded that vacation slightly reduces burnout and occupational illnesses, but the effects may disappear within two to four weeks of returning to work.

Endurance of exhaustion

According to the World Health Organization, “burnout” is a persistent feeling of tiredness and alienation from work that is caused by an occupational phenomenon rather than a mental illness. Fatigue can be relieved by taking a rest period. However, an assessment must be made between the employee’s condition and the time spent on vacation.

“It’s like stones in your shoes that hurt day after day until you can’t walk. During the holidays we can have fun and relax, but when we come back, when we put our shoes back on, the stones are still there,” explains Christina Maslak, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Benefits of Sabbaticals

Kira Shabram, a professor at the University of Washington, is the author of a 2023 study on the benefits of sabbaticals.

50 respondents described the experience as positive and transformative. Although responses varied by gender, age, and race, there was a common thread among respondents: they were privileged and had held leadership or management roles prior to the break. This factor has led to some criticism of the investigation.

“Yes, they are right. Not everyone can afford to take a year off,” the researcher said. “But the findings of the study are valid for any worker. It is interesting to know what would happen, even in a hypothetical world, if we stopped working for a long period,” he noted, the newspaper quotes. El Pais.

Prevention

According to Kira Shabram, a professor at the university, when it comes to burnout, prevention is better than cure. “The good news is that even small things help,” he says. The ability to “switch off” from work is becoming a fundamental practice.

Scientists warn that more importance should be given to the mental health of company workers. Burnout can happen to any worker, but sometimes it is ignored. “Why don’t you rest?” is a common question asked of a tired worker.

In recent years, the term “burnout” has come to be used in a general context, not just in the professional one. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced everyone to live a different life.