by S. Todd Stolp MD
©September 2007
When was the last time you took time away from work to enjoy a vacation? While taking time off, did you relax? It might actually be a very astute public health recommendation to advise our friends and families to “go fly a kite.”
According to a study by the International Labour Organization, Americans take fewer days off of work each year than any other industrialized country. Twenty five percent of Americans do not receive paid vacation. In addition, those employees in the U.S. who are provided the benefit of paid vacation days typically fail to take an average of one to two of those days per year.
Workers in Germany average 30 days of paid vacation time per year, and in France it averages 38 days. Americans average about half that. Even among the industrious workers of Japan, vacations are more extensive than in the U.S.
Now, it should be made clear that there is nothing wrong with dedication to work and a strong work ethic. This is the classic parental montra. However, it is also dangerous to accept the notion that we can maintain maximum health and benefit to our families when we forfeit every last morsel of free time in favor of work.
Research has explored the characteristics of work that contribute most significantly to work related stress. It turns out that the occupations that generate the most anxiety on the part of employees are those jobs in which the employee has the least ability to influence their work responsibilities. Such an insight may help explain why work within the U. S. Postal Service or in positions with repetitive mundane responsibilities are so hard on some employees.
Literature is rife with speculation about why Americans are so obsessed with work. Economic pressures, Puritanical roots and corporate influences have all been suggested as major contributors. However, Websters Dictionary alludes to the fact that the Latin root of the word “vacation” includes references to the cocept of “freedom.” Restraints are equally effective, whether they be physical or self imposed and economic, and neither is conducive to good health.
Consider planning a vacation this next year. And remember that a vacation does not have to be expensive. Time off to go camping, or a bike trip might be just the ticket.
It is worth reminding ourselves that spending restful time with our families and friends is an important way to keep a healthy perspective on the trials of work. Such an outlook makes for a more enjoyable life and ultimately a more productive employee.