The Power of Switching Off: Why Taking Leave Matters More Than You Think

In our always-on work culture, taking a holiday can feel like a luxury, or even a risk. Yet science tells a different story: stepping away from work isn’t just good for you, it’s essential for creativity, mental health, and long-term performance.

Why Disconnecting Is a Strategic Move

1. Mental and Physical Health Gains

Regular vacations are linked to significant health benefits. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that those who vacation are more likely to have lower fatigue and better sleep – which is great for all employees. Encouragingly for managers, employees who regularly take vacation report higher work engagement and improved job performance (​Grant et al, 2025).

2. Enhanced Creativity and Cognitive Flexibility

Time away from work can boost creativity(Bloom et al, 2014). Creativity “encourages innovation, boosts productivity, allows for adaptability, and fosters growth” (Boyles, 2022) in addition, the research indicates that vacationing can lead to increased cognitive flexibility, which is crucial for problem-solving and innovation.

3. Improved Psychological Safety

Detaching from work allows individuals to recover from stress and return with a renewed sense of psychological safety. This detachment is associated with higher life satisfaction and reduced psychological strain (APA, 2018).

How can I contribute? The Collective Benefit of Time Off

When entire teams or organisations take time off together, the benefits are amplified as you’re not receiving emails and work isn’t happening at pace whilst you’re fully unplugged and exploring new places. Companies like LinkedIn and Bumble have implemented company-wide vacations, ensuring that employees can truly rest with goals of reducing burnout. This approach has been shown to improve mental health and boost job satisfaction and productivity (Science Daily, 2012). And we all know, our people are our most important resource in any organisation.

No one can contact you on a cruise ship - the wifi doesn't work

Tips for Managing Post-Vacation Workload

Returning to a backlog can be daunting. Here are some strategies to ease the transition:

• Plan Ahead: you’re likely reading this after the recent break, no worries, plan ahead for your next one: before you log off, set up an out-of-office message and delegate tasks to colleagues.​

• Prioritise Tasks: Upon return, categorize tasks into urgent and non-urgent to tackle them systematically.​ Delegate where appropriate – it could be a good time for your successor to learn new things. Try to “touch” each email/task just once – if it’s simple do it immediately, if it’s not, schedule a time to address within the week.

• Allow a Buffer Day: If possible, return from vacation a day earlier than your OOO advises to acclimate before diving back into work. Allow your team and peers in on the secret, and share “why” – this will allow you to respectfully take the time you need to work through some tasks and demonstrate trust by making yourself available for those who genuinely need to reach you.

• Set Realistic Goals: Acknowledge that it will take time to get back into the groove and plan your workload accordingly.​

Embracing a Culture of Rest

Encouraging regular time off is not just beneficial for individual employees but also fosters a healthier, more productive work environment. Organisations that prioritise rest and recovery see improvements in employee well-being, creativity, and overall performance.​ At Caterpillar change we can help you establish, coach people leaders on, and embed a culture where individuals understand their importance, and are confident to take the leave they need to perform at their peak.