|
MARCH
2001
Engineering
Trends
 Vacation Deprivation—
All Work and No Play Takes Its Toll At Home and
At Work
by Todd
Yuzuriha
Vacation deprivation
is running rampant in America. A recent national survey sponsored by
Oxford Health Plans of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut found that
18 percent of U.S. workers are unable to use up annual vacation because
of work demands.
In engineering, this
reality may be even more acute because the specialized technical nature
of many of our jobs makes it tougher to get away during certain times.
Are we destined to
continue this all-work-and-no-play trend?
Balance Your Life
Vacations maintain
long-term mental and physical well-being. Time away from the office
helps us maintain balance in our lives, giving us an opportunity to
spend invaluable time with family and friends without getting too
obsessed with work.
In an effort to
achieve balance, technical workers must make more deliberate attempts to
get away from it all every once in awhile.
Plan Ahead
The best time to
plan for a future vacation is now. Look at your schedule for the
rest of the calendar year and determine when the best time for a
vacation would be, both from the standpoint of family and friends and
from a workload standpoint. Then plan. Putting off the commitment
to go makes it harder to follow through later.
Develop Back Up
In engineering, it
may be difficult to establish back up for certain tasks because of the
specialized knowledge you bring to your job. Regardless of how often you
are typically away, be sure you train a colleague to cover for you
during these times. Work with your manager on fitting this development
into the schedule. If you can leave your work in capable hands, you’ll
be able to leave most of the stress behind as well.
'Disconnect'
for Awhile
With e-mail, cell
phones, and laptop computers all now ordinary tools of our everyday
lives, it’s much harder to leave it all behind and "get away from
it all." In fact, it’s seemingly easier just to stay connected
even while we’re on vacation. Try to set aside some time during which
you are totally disconnected from work. By focusing on your vacation,
you’ll be able to refresh mentally and physically—and you’ll be
more energized when you return.
Your Vacation Will
Be Worth It
While you may feel
as though you need to take a vacation from your vacation when you get
back, getting to that feeling will be worth it. Taking regular vacations
from work will help you stay more mentally fit to tackle the challenges
of your job. They will give you a fresher outlook and a renewed
perspective. You’ll be thankful you left for a while, and your employer
and colleagues will be thankful too.
Todd Yuzuriha is the author of
How
to Succeed as an Engineer: A Practical Guide to Enhance Your Career. For more
information, go to www.engineeringsuccess.com |
