I’m a big believer that people need time away from work to be able to perform at their best when they are actually there. If I had my way, the working week would be shorter because I honestly believe that more work would get done if employees had a less amount of time to do it in. How often have you heard yourself say, “I’ll do it tomorrow?” Well, if your working week was, say, four days long instead of five, you would have less opportunity to do this.

My motivation levels are high on a Monday (god knows why) but start to dip by Wednesday. If I had a midweek day off, my motivation levels would most likely soar again after some time away from the office.

Plus there would be more time to travel which many people believe improves employees’ performance as well as their mental and physical health in a number of ways.

Hop on a plane to see your work performance instantly improve

Pre-Holiday mindsets are more positive

Routine can inspire negative thoughts. Whilst some people treasure the safety and security of the routine that a job provides, others can feel like they are sleepwalking through life. As soon as we start planning a trip or some time away from work, our mindset changes to a more positive one. Once it is booked, we are immediately more happy and content, therefore making us perform better at work. Having something to look forward to gives us a break from the monotony of daily life and planning what we need to do at work before we go can give us some order whilst simultaneously breaking projects down into more manageable chunks.

Distance makes the mind grow stronger

It’s easy for ideas to get stale if we are doing the same things day in, day out. It’s common for advice such as taking a step back and removing yourself from the project for a short while to allow new ideas and inspiration to surface to be given, and I think that this is so true. If we’re constantly thinking about the same thing for a period of time, be it a project or an article, we tend to get too caught up in it and are unable to separate ourselves from it. When this happens, one of the best things you can do is put some distance between it and yourself and do something completely different. Chances are, when you return you will see it in a new light and it won’t be eating away at you anymore!

Put some distance between you and work

Open your eyes and mind to new perspectives

Travel and holidays are a time to push thoughts of work to the back of your mind. The concerns and worries you have about everyday life at home seem trivial when you are exploring a new place, which instantly makes us feel more relaxed and happy; travel puts a new perspective on things we were so wrapped up in back at home. According to a number of psychologists, routine and habits can limit our mental capability, but spending time in new environments and amongst different cultures can broaden our way of thinking. There are a few reasons for this, not least because other communities may have a unique way of life or of looking at things, but also because our brains are creating new networks and connections that they wouldn’t be making if we were sitting in our familiar offices or carrying out the same tasks we perform every day. In addition, you might learn something that you can apply to your job once you return.

Work isn’t everything

A lot people spend their lives worrying about work; whether it’s the financial aspect or the security of their position. It can create a huge amount of unwanted stress that can put strain on everything around us. Going to a new place and experiencing different ways of living can open our eyes to a whole new world and makes us realise that work isn’t everything. This immediately makes our relationship with our job much happier and healthier; ergo, makes us perform better.

What’s more, the rest and relaxation of a holiday or travel can only be a good thing; in fact, taking regular breaks away from work has been proven to reduce the risk of a heart attack by almost half and we tend to sleep better once we return. How could this not be a good thing!?

So, start planning your next trip – for you and for your job!

About the author: Lizzie is a full time marketing assistant and part-time travel blogger promoting the ways to get the most out of grab-it-when-you-can travel. She spends her time creatively thinking of ways to plan trips around her job and advocating the idea that you don’t have to be ‘homeless’ to enjoy the perks of frequent travel. Aside from this, Lizzie likes questioning why people travel and the psychology behind it, watching crap American TV programmes, and drinking too much tea (cider). You can find out more about Lizzie here (go on – I know you want to see what’s behind the melon…)