You've finally made it to your vacation. The out-of-office message is set, your bags are packed, and you're ready to relax. But instead of slowing down, you find yourself hustling from one scheduled activity to the next, clutching your itinerary like it's a second job. Sound familiar?
Many employees treat time off like a checklist, packing every moment with tours, reservations, and plans. By the end of the week, they're more tired than when they left. The result? A vacation that doesn't feel like a break at all.
Research shows that for time off to be truly restorative; it needs more than just a change of scenery. It needs breathing room.
PTO isn't just a perk. It's a proven strategy for boosting health, engagement, and performance. When used well, time off can help reduce burnout, improve mental clarity, and restore motivation. But the benefits aren't guaranteed just because someone steps away from their desk.
What matters most is the quality of the break. A vacation that replaces work obligations with tightly scheduled leisure activities may offer little relief. In fact, research shows that overly planned time off can diminish the very benefits people are seeking.
In a widely cited study published in the Journal of Marketing Research, researchers Gabriela Tonietto and Selin Malkoc found that when people schedule leisure activities for specific times (like "3PM coffee") those events start to feel like obligations. Anticipation decreases, enjoyment declines, and the activity becomes just another item on the calendar.
This research reveals something counterintuitive: the very act of scheduling can drain the pleasure from experiences we're supposed to enjoy. When every hour has a purpose, spontaneity disappears, and with it, the sense of freedom that makes vacation restorative.
Vacations can also trigger decision fatigue. This happens when your brain is constantly juggling logistics: where to go, how long to spend there, and what to do next. Even enjoyable outings lose their appeal when they're stacked too tightly, leaving no time to rest or reset between them.
1. You feel pressure to stick to a strict plan, even when you're tired.
2. You're constantly checking your itinerary instead of being present.
3. you return feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation.
4. You find yourself rushing through experiences to stay on schedule.
Beyond the immediate stress of overscheduling, there's a deeper issue: hyper-planned vacations can actually diminish our ability to enjoy unstructured time when we return to work. When we condition ourselves to fill every moment with activity, we lose the skill of simply being present without an agenda.
This has implications that extend far beyond vacation. Employees who can't tolerate unstructured time often struggle with creativity, problem-solving, and stress management back at the office. They may feel anxious during brief breaks or uncomfortable with open-ended projects that require reflection rather than immediate action.
The most restorative vacations teach us something valuable: that we don't always need to be productive or purposeful to be content. This lesson becomes a resource we can draw on during stressful periods at work, helping us find moments of calm even in busy schedules.
Research consistently shows that the best vacations aren't the ones with the most activities. They're the ones that provide genuine psychological distance from work demands and allow for mental restoration.
But here's the challenge: downtime isn't a luxury you earn after the fun stuff is over. It's a skill that requires practice, especially for high-achieving professionals who are accustomed to constant productivity. Many people report feeling guilty or anxious when they have nothing scheduled, as if rest itself were a form of laziness.
Learning to be comfortable with unstructured time is actually a form of emotional regulation. It requires tolerating the discomfort of not being busy and trusting that valuable experiences can emerge without orchestration. A vacation doesn't have to be efficient to be valuable. Instead of asking, "What else can we fit in?" try asking, "What can we let go of?"
Leaving parts of your day unplanned gives you space to follow your energy, mood, or curiosity.
Maybe you'll stumble onto something even better than what you had scheduled. Or maybe you'll do nothing and feel great about it.
An open hour doesn't mean a missed opportunity; it's an invitation to relax, breathe, and let your thoughts wander. That slow morning with no plans? That hour by the pool with no phone? Those moments are what your mind and body remember when you return to work. They aren't wasted time, they're the reset you actually needed.
This kind of mental spaciousness is rare during a typical workday, but a vacation that includes open space allows you to experience time more slowly, intentionally, and without pressure.
Workplace culture plays a powerful role in how employees use their time off. If the message they hear is "unplug and relax," but the reality is a full inbox and subtle guilt about being unavailable, it's no wonder people feel pressure to make their vacations look productive.
Organizations that genuinely support employee well-being can take meaningful steps to help time off feel restorative and reinvigorating.
Time off loses its impact when employees are still checking messages or taking calls. Managers can set the tone by respecting PTO boundaries and encouraging full disconnection. A simple shift in expectations, such as not contacting someone while they are away, can make a big difference in how restorative that break actually is.
One reason employees feel the need to "maximize" their vacation is because they know what is waiting for them when they get back. Consider how workloads are managed during PTO. Can responsibilities be redistributed temporarily? Can the return-to-work process be gentler? Helping employees ease back in makes the time off feel more sustainable and more likely to be used again.
Start with how vacation is talked about. If time off is only celebrated when it's packed with adventure, employees may feel pressure to do the same. Make room for stories about restful trips that involve hammocks, naps, and absolutely no itineraries. When leaders share these examples, it sends a strong message that true rest is valid and valued.
Leaders who return from time off energized and refreshed rather than exhausted from overpacking their schedules demonstrate that rest is a professional competency, not a personal weakness. Sharing stories about the value of unstructured time helps normalize this approach across the organization.
Time off should be a chance to reset, not another source of stress. When employees understand that rest is productive, they're more likely to protect their unstructured time and more likely to return feeling renewed rather than depleted.
The real value of time off isn't measured in how much you do. It's in how deeply you rest. Letting go of the need to schedule every minute can feel unfamiliar, especially in a culture that rewards constant productivity. But the most restorative vacations are often the ones with open space, quiet moments, and no pressure to perform.
Encourage your employees to take that kind of break. Model it yourself when possible. When people return from time off feeling truly rested, everyone in the workplace benefits.
When you partner with Ulliance, our Life Advisor Consultants are always just a phone call away to teach ways to enhance your work/life balance and increase your happiness. The Ulliance Life Advisor Employee Assistance Program can help employees and employers come closer to a state of total well-being.
Investing in the right EAP or Wellness Program to support your employees will help them and help you. Visit https://ulliance.com/ or call 866-648-8326.
The Ulliance Employee Assistance Program can address the
following issues:
• Stress about work or job performance
• Crisis in the workplace
• Conflict resolution at work or in one’s personal life
• Marital or relationship problems
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• AND MORE!
References:
How to Have a Great Vacation: What Science Tells Us; Wall Street Journal; Jeff Galak
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/science-of-great-vacations-6df2cf22
How to Take a Relaxing Vacation Without Stressing About Work; Time; Jamie Ducharme
https://time.com/5599292/vacation-without-stressing-work/
How Scheduling Takes the Fun Out of Free Time; Washington University in St. Louis; Sara Savat
https://source.wustl.edu/2016/03/scheduling-takes-fun-free-time/
Why Time Off Is So Good for Your Health; Everyday Health
https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/why-taking-time-off-is-so-good-for-your-health/