Take Time Off

Audio By Carbonatix

I saw something the other day that was really disturbing. An article talked about how many people don’t use all of the vacation days that they are allotted at work. The author suggested that employees prefer to work instead of taking time out to rest and be with their families. It was no surprise that the main focus of the article was about how not taking vacation is having a negative effect on relationships. No surprise there!

I’m not talking about this subject because I’ve always done a good job of taking vacation from work. I’m writing this because I haven’t always been a good role model. That’s the primary reason for most of my articles. I want you to learn from my mistakes.  

I don’t have what most people would consider a “normal” schedule. That’s the Monday through Friday work schedule with weekends off. I work mostly on the weekends. That in itself can be difficult to maneuver when most of the world operates from the total opposite perspective. I know there are other people who can relate to working a crazy schedule. But regardless of when I work, rest is always necessary. 

Our culture encourages people to work hard—too hard! Unfortunately, working a ridiculous amount of hours earns people a certain level of respect regardless of whether it’s tearing their family apart. There are companies who reward employees for working long hours even though someone working shorter hours might be more productive. 

Studies have proven that long hours away from work can increase our brain power. Researchers have concluded that because the brain is a muscle, it gets fatigued when faced with constant stress. Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, discovered this truth back in 1926. Ford was one of the first companies to adopt a five-day, 40-hour work week. He believed that every worker needed more than one day a week for rest and recreation, and so he pushed for two days of rest. Henry Ford’s son, Edsel, was quoted as saying, “We believe that in order to live properly every man should have more time to spend with his family.” 

In order for relationships to work, we have to work on those relationships. And the biggest investment we can make in our relationships is to give our time. It’s necessary if we want to win more often at home.