You may be surprised to know that many people do not take their annual leave, to find out just how many and some of the reasons why people don’t I encourage you to read the Annual Leave Allowances: The Survey | Just Eat Business

I was asked to comment by Q&A People Matter on the importance of a healthy work-life balance when it comes to taking annual leave. I shared that: “Whether taken as a long break or in short breaks, annual leave is an important part of a much bigger picture of looking after our life-work balance, of creating cultures of care and connection in which people are helped to be their best and do their best work, are inclusive of difference and encourage collaboration. 

“Increasingly people are realising that there is huge value in taking micro-breaks during the day as part of managing wellbeing, energy and time as well as longer macro-breaks as part of annual leave. The danger of not doing so is that we lose our ability to switch-off and to disconnect from work, we are always on even though we are running on empty. This can impact on our sleep patterns, on our ability to concentrate, cause extreme mood swings and a weakening of our immune system.”

If you are one of those people that for whatever reason you don’t take your annual leave now is the time to have a rethink and to take a break.

Taking breaks is an important part of our everyday, a pause between meetings, a break for lunch. Many of us have got out of the way of taking breaks between meetings, either physically running from meeting to meeting, or physically sitting if virtual in the same place meeting after meeting. Taking micro breaks help us think better leading to better decision-making, more creativity and innovation in the day to day.

Whether you like to take your annual leave in a big chunk or in smaller chunks the important thing is to take the time. Work out what works for you, with and for your colleagues, help each other to make taking annual leave an essential part of creating a healthy culture of care and connection