As the adage goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Taking a break to go on a vacation can be the best way to balance work and life. Relaxation and rest is as important as good food and exercise for a healthy life. Getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing something new challenges both body and mind. No matter the duration of the holiday–short, long, a weekend, or only a day–you’ll get back to work feeling more refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Here are 7 reasons why you need to take a break from work and go on a vacation:
1. To reduce stress and the risk of stress-related diseases.
Neuroscientists have found that brain structure is badly impacted by chronic exposure to the stress hormone cortisol. Studies by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Mind-Body Center show that time away from work helps to relieve stress and prevent and mitigate diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, anxiety and depression. By teaching you to savor the moment in real time-taking in new sights, sounds and smell-traveling makes you more mindful. Therefore vacations improve both physical and mental health.
2. For greater well-being after the vacation.
According to a Gallup study, people who make time for regular trips had a 68.4 score on the Gallup-Heathway's Well-Being Index, in comparison to a 51.4 Well-Being score for less frequent travellers. Gains accrued during vacations, such as lesser physical complaints and better quality of sleep and mood continue after the vacation is over too – even until five weeks later. Also, once you’re back home, taking time to reflect on the experience, looking back at the photos and recalling your favorite moments help to prolong the beneficial effects of your travel.
3. To improve work productivity.
Taking a break from work and the inevitable work-related stresses can help to prevent burnout by recharging brain cells. This improves mental faculties such as memory, focus, clarity, creativity and concentration. Better brain functioning can help in the brainstorming of new ideas. Returning from the vacation energized and optimistic helps to better deal with work challenges and project roadblocks. Experiencing new cultures and different ways of doing and living on a vacation can help to develop fresh perspectives and an openness to new possibilities and multiple solutions. For people in creative fields, a vacation can provide sources of inspiration and stimulate their imagination. Meeting new people and discovering shared connections can help in networking, building contacts and expanding your business/professional life horizons.
4. To better your relationships.
Man is a social animal and relationships best flourish in a relaxed stress-free setting like a vacation. Traveling together is the best way to learn about each other, to bond and to build a relationship. Investing in time spent together can improve relationships with family, friends, spouse, parents, children, siblings, partners, roommates, etc. A solo vacation can help to better your relationship with yourself by providing time for self-reflection and appreciation. You could also meet new and interesting people and create relationships that enhance either your personal or professional life.
5. To be happier now by just planning the vacation.
Research shows that planning the vacation will in itself make you happier today as you are anticipating and looking forward to the excitement of the scheduled break. A person can feel positive and happy for many weeks before the actual trip begins. As you plan and prepare for something that you look forward to, your daily job gets easier and seems worthwhile since it is paying for your vacation.
6. To achieve the goal of life-long learning and growth.
Only absorbing and recording work information is not complete learning. To use this information effectively the brain also needs time off to process it and make meaningful connections with other learnings. This makes taking vacations and breaks very important. People often get their best insights and most creative ideas while on vacation. Besides serving as an unstructured education, a holiday can also give you time to read a new business book, an opportunity to enroll for a course or workshop to update your skills, etc. You can explore new interests and hobbies such as rock climbing, whitewater rafting, horse riding, photography, etc. Travelling is not just about brag-worthy Instagram photos and collecting souvenirs but about gaining experiences and stories which will live on.
7. A staycation can help you eat your cake and have it too.
A staycation is a vacation spent at home or nearby within a day trip distance of your home in your own country, rather than abroad. It reduces time, energy, stress and money spent on planning and preparation (booking flights and hotels), traveling, packing/unpacking and jet lag. Due to Corona and restrictions on international travel, a staycation can especially be a good option. One can fully relax, enjoy leisure activities such as visiting local attractions, cafes, restaurants, bars, historical buildings, nature parks, etc. You could hike, trek, picnic, play with pets, read a book, listen to music, or simply close your eyes and enjoy a feeling of inner peace and quiet. Requiring little to no preparation, a staycation presents a win-win situation and can be the ideal way to restore and revitalise your mind, body and spirit.
The best way to maximise the benefits of vacationing would be to spread the vacation experience twice or thrice in a year rather than taking one big vacation. This means a minimum impact on your work and maximum help to you. So make no more excuses and get set for your next holiday.
Meetings are a mainstay of modern workplace communication, and for good reason. Done right, meetings aid collaboration, creativity, innovation, and inclusivity among teams. A study1 by ResearchGate reveals that over 50% of respondents considered their meetings productive and only 15% complained about them being a waste of time.
Yet, many of us hear superiors say, “If you’re invited to a meeting, we expect you to speak up. Don’t wait for someone to ask you.”
So, when you can’t find your voice in a meeting or if you’re getting interrupted too often when you try to speak, here are a few ways to make yourself heard in meetings.
7 Ways to Make Your Voice Heard in Meetings.
1.Do your research beforehand.
Walking into a meeting with no idea about its purpose or agenda is like going to war without guns. It’s imperative that you study the agenda before the meeting and arm yourself with ideas, questions and suggestions. If there are topics on the agenda that you can contribute to, convey the same to the host in advance and request that they set aside a few minutes in the meeting for you to speak. And if public speaking gets the best of you, practice your speech before the meeting with a friend or a trusted colleague, and invite questions and suggestions. Remember, practice makes perfect.
2.Arrive early to a meeting.
Reach the meeting room 10-15 minutes ahead of time and start conversations with those who are already present. It’s astonishing how even experienced people shy away from contributing in meetings because they fear what others will think of them. Being assertive in your communication with attendees gets easier if you’ve already spoken to them and built a rapport before the meeting. And if small talk is not your thing, just pull out the agenda and ask for someone’s opinion.
3.Consider questions as contributions.
Questions spark curiosity, curiosity creates ideas, and ideas lead to innovation. So never hesitate to stand up in a meeting and ask your questions. But don’t ever use questions to draw attention towards you. If your question doesn’t have merit, you’re only wasting your and your entire team’s time—a crime too grave to commit when everyone is already pressed for time. Don’t have questions but want to contribute? Make your voice heard by answering questions or summarizing the meeting based on your understanding.
4.Make sure your ideas get the attention they deserve.
When you’ve finally won attention in the meeting, hold the floor until you’ve made your point. Sometimes, even though you’ve made an important contribution, another attendee might think that they’ve come up with an idea of a lifetime and your idea will get lost under their enthusiasm. To avoid this, right after you make your point, engage others in a conversation by asking them “Do you think we can work with this idea?”, or “How can we make this work for your team as well?” to make sure your idea gets the attention it deserves.
And if someone interrupts, politely tell them that you’d like to hear their opinion but have just two more points to make. After you’ve completed your dialogue, remember to ask the person what they were saying.
5.Respond in agreement or disagreement.
If you agree to a point, ensure you voice your agreement with facts or reasons for the same. And if you disagree, speak up and explain why. Never apologize for disagreeing with someone, instead be assertive in your communication without being disrespectful.
Avoid starting with phrases like “I’m sorry but I think...” or “I don’t want to interrupt, but…” and start with these:
● In my opinion, we have a better solution if we….
● I understand Sheetal’s point, but that could lead to…
● I see it differently because…
6.Ask yourself why you want to contribute.
You either have something important to say that will change the course of the meeting, or you’re worried that you’ll be at the receiving end of the “If you’re invited to a meeting, we expect you to speak up.” comment.
If your contribution is driven by the latter, begin by asking yourself why you care about your role, your organization and the project at hand. Answering these questions will help you develop a sense of connection to your work, so you can find new ways to contribute instead of just making your presence felt.
7.Leave your emotions at the door.
People complain that they get “shut off” or “spoken over” in meetings. The only way to get past this is to leave your emotions at the door before a meeting. If you’re being spoken over, or when your idea isn’t being accepted like you wish it to be, staying in a neutral emotional state will help you cope with the feedback. If you have an important point to make that was interrupted, stand up and assert it; if it wasn’t, let it pass. Remember, the point of the meeting is to find solutions to a problem, and not to hear you out.
Making yourself heard in meetings can be tricky, especially when you’re stuck in a workplace that doesn’t notice your contributions. Give these suggestions a go, practice ways to be more assertive in your communication, and you’ll soon find it easy to be heard in meetings!