2 minute read

A smarter path to success just might involve a little less work obsession and a little more guilt free time out and leisure action.

Because our working world has become obsessed with hustle and grind, taking a break or pursuing leisure activities can often be perceived as sign of weakness or being a ‘slacker’. 

How often have you apologised to a colleague or boss for leaving to go on vacation? I used to do it every time and never really gave it any thought.

My reason to apologise for taking time off was to alleviate my feelings of guilt.  Me taking time off meant my colleagues had to do work that I could have done if I was still there working with them.

I also didn’t want them to think I was purposely letting them down and feeling good about it. That’s what an asshole would do right, and not a valued colleague?

But there’s plenty of research that shows taking time off from work is essential for our mental, physical and emotional health. We know it’s good for us but often feel guilty about it.

It’s understandable to think this way, but not smart as research now shows.

If we feel guilty about pursuing leisure time at the expense of work we don’t get any of the gains of taking time out. In fact, it makes us feel worse.

Researcher and professor Gabriela Tonietto of the University of Rutgers Business School led an analysis of four studies with over 1,300 participants in four different countries and found that people who felt that leisure activities were a waste of time had higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those who placed a higher value on these pursuits.

“Not everyone sees value in time spent on leisure. Many hold a general belief that these activities are an unproductive use of time – at the cost of their own happiness. We find that believing leisure is wasteful causes time spent on leisure to be less enjoyable.” Tonietto says. 

So if we shift our belief that leisure activities and having vacations once in a while is actually good for us and do them without feeling guilty, we get all the benefits from doing them.

So how do we make this shift in mindset if we feel guilty about taking time off?

Tonietto says, “You might need to actually rethink your attitudes toward these activities because it turns out the way we actually think about them matters for how much of those benefits we’re able to get.”

Beliefs and attitudes can be difficult to change, so it may not be possible to shift how you feel about leisure time overnight. But it is possible.

“For those who think of leisure as wasteful, focusing on the productive ways that individual leisure activities can serve their long-term goals can help.” Tonietto says.

If you’re planning on taking short trip away or starting up a new hobby or afterwork activity, try dropping the guilt of leaving any colleagues or work behind and embrace the thrill and chill of your down time.

Should guilty thoughts start to creep into your mind when you’re away, remind yourself that you’re not only wasting time and money not allowing yourself to enjoy the time away, but you’re also doing harm to yourself – and that’s really letting your work mates down.

If you’re a leader and a team member of yours is taking time off, wish them well and resist the urge to say how lucky they are, or you wish it was you. That just draws out the guilty vibe from someone faster than seagulls dive bombing you with a plate full of hot chips. Best to provide reassurance that the team has everything covered and only in the event of a World War three apocalypse style emergency will you interrupt them.

A little less work obsession and a little more guilty free leisure time action is a good thing for everyone.