What do oil changes and taking some time off from work have in common? You're almost certainly not doing either enough.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American worker in the private sector receives upwards of 10 days of paid vacation after a year of service.
However, a 2023 survey from the Pew Research center of nearly 6,000 U.S. workers found that over half of them don't use all of their allotted time off and 49% of those surveyed said they fear falling behind at work.
So is PTO just for the faint of heart then?
It's quite the opposite according to corporate therapist Dr. Natalie Jones PsyD, LPCC.
In our third episode of "Why Are We All So Tired," Jones said that just like the oil change you've been avoiding, some time away from the office is critical to maintaining your long-term performance and productivity. But unlike an oil change (unless you're a Ford F-150), vacation is also important for your mental health.
So instead of corporate FOMO that ultimately leads to the Sunday scaries, consider your next vacation an investment in your future.
TheStreet's 'Why Are We All So Tired?' is sponsored by 5-hour Energy's" Summer of No FOMO."
Related: Secret to a more productive workday has nothing to do with work
TRANSCRIPT:
Dr. Natalie Jones: The job will still be there tomorrow, but there's only one of you. And so just like you would take your car in to get an oil change, tires rotated, you know, regular maintenance, you have to make sure that you, too, are also ensuring that you're performing regular maintenance, scheduled maintenance on yourself so that you can be productive.
So that you can show up not just for your job, but also for yourself and feel good about the quality of work that you're doing or feel good about just even being in the workplace, being around people and sort of, you know, the energy that you're putting out there.
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