Welcome to The Happier Newsletter, a weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help you build a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.
What’s On Today
- Topic: The One Thing That Stops Me From Burning Out
- The Benefits Of Going On A Mini-Holiday
- Treat The Weekend Like A Vacation
The One Thing That Stops Me From Burning Out
In today’s world, where our achievements are often measured by our work output and financial gains, it's all too common to lose sight of the importance of taking a well-deserved break.
We get sucked in to the routine of the nine-to-five grind, or the relentless hustle culture encouraged by our society, that we spend more time at our desks and less time catching a breath.
But when we fail to prioritise self-care and continually push ourselves beyond our limits, we inevitably reach a breaking point.
We may feel stuck in a rut - repeating the same day over and over again - or even hit burnout that we're forced to take time off as we’re unable to sustain our current pace.
So, when I found myself resenting my job and feeling emotionally drained a few years ago. I made myself a promise: Whenever I feel drained or I notice myself distancing from work, that’s when I need to go on a mini-holiday.
The Benefits Of Going On A Mini-Holiday
We all know that taking breaks is important for our health. It helps us recover from work stress, restores our energy and mental resources, and decreases the development of fatigue, sleep disorders and even cardiovascular disease.
But did you know that taking short vacations throughout the year may be more beneficial to your mental well-being than taking one long vacation?
Research has suggested that eight days may be the ideal length of a vacation to maximise relaxation — with happiness peaking after this amount of time away.
But a vacation of this length also comes with its drawbacks:
- You’re likely using up a large chunk of your paid time off
- It can get really expensive really quickly
- You’ll probably get back to office to a mountain of work that's piled up for you
So, taking multiple shorter trips throughout the year can be more beneficial as it not only allows you to actually disconnect from work, but it can also help you save money, reduce your planning stress, and increase your happiness levels as you’ll have many getaways to look forward to throughout the year.
That’s why I make a conscious effort to escape whenever possible. Whether it's a day trip or an overnight stay, I find that even a short getaway revitalises my energy levels and wards off burnout.
Treat The Weekend Like A Vacation
Now, it’s not always easy to just take a day or two off to go on a 4-day trip. So if you’re having trouble making time for a break, an alternative to this is to treat the weekends like a vacation.
Recent research suggests that people who spent the weekend like vacationers report more happiness, less negativity and more satisfaction than those who approached the weekend like they always did.
What researchers found was that treating the weekend like a vacation activates a mind-set shift. It nudges us out of our constant doing mode, where our activities are items we’re trying to get through to check off our to-do lists, to feeling like we can actually take a break and enjoy the moment.
In other words, directing our attention to the present is most important for reaping emotional benefits from time off.
So, whenever you feel like you've been going too hard for too long, and need a well-deserved break, remind yourself to integrate a mini-holiday into your routine, or even treat your weekend like a vacation.
Because this can inject a much-needed dose of excitement and vitality back into your life.
After all, life is about more than just the grind — it's about seizing the opportunity to create meaningful experiences and savouring each moment.
