Does it make sense to go on vacation?

If you tuned in to yesterday’s conference on the status of Covid-19 in Trinidad and Tobago, or even if you did not, you know that many of the previous “lockdown” restrictions have been implemented again since we are now experiencing community spread. I guess it was bound to happen, but it is still sad to know that we are at this point now. In light of this, you may be wondering if it makes sense to go on vacation. You can’t really go anywhere or do anything for 28 days, so what’s the point right? Let me convince you to take your leave.

1. You have earned it. Last week, I spoke about my own need for a vacation. I really think people take vacation lightly. According to dictionary.com, a vacation is “a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday”. Note the definition says “rest, recreation OR travel”, and that the first function of a vacation is rest. I will continue to say this as we go through this pandemic together; this is an unprecedented experience in any of our lifetimes. We have not had to balance our lives so much before, and it is EXTREMELY hard. Take your vacation please. Get away from the office and allow yourself to rest as much as you can in the midst of everything. You have earned it.
2. You cannot retain leave indefinitely. You usually earn vacation leave as you work and you are required to use your vacation time within a certain period. If you have already applied for the time, take it. Do not overthink it. You may not be allowed to cancel it anyway, especially if arrangements have been made around your leave of absence, and the time you have to take it will run out as you attempt to work around it. Many companies are giving employees the option to apply for their leave without having to go through the regular process in light of the pandemic. You should take advantage of this opportunity. It is paid leave at the end of the day, and you will earn more as you continue working so don’t panic that you will be losing days. Keep in mind as well that Covid-19 has been and continues to be unpredictable, with estimates saying that normalcy may (not will, may) return at the end of 2021 (!!). Trying to delay your vacation leave may mean that you can lose the days you have earned based on your company’s policy. Let’s avoid that please.
3. Why not try a staycation? Ok, so the beach is off limits now and we cannot dine in at restaurants and bars for a while. Take the vacation and create your own memories doing things at home that you would have done if you were able to knock about as before. If there is one good thing to come out of this pandemic, I would have to say it is innovation. Get creative and figure out ways for you to make the most of your time at home while we wait out this virus. This article from Everyday Health (click here) gave some fun tips and ideas to get you started. You may think you are fine but you need to disconnect from the office and destress. While you or your loved ones may not ever get Covid-19, the statistics and all the news on it can weigh mentally on you and you may not even realize it. Find innovative ways to vacation at home.

I hope I have convinced you to take your vacation guys. You need it. Trust me.

Have a great week!

#PeritusSundays #vacation #staycation #pandemic