Your Next Paid Holiday Is Months Away

You may be surprised by how long you’ll have to wait until your next paid holiday. We’re in a stretch of the calendar when not having a day off from work could affect your productivity.

For some, there is a 98 day gap between President’s Day and Memorial Day. But a lot of people don’t get President’s Day off from work, so they are looking at a 133 day gap between the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and Memorial Day.

133 days is roughly four months. That’s a long time, especially when you remember Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and MLK Day. Those were three holidays we enjoyed in less than a month.

Suddenly, there’s a long stretch with no holidays. Maybe the walls of your office seem to be moving in on you. Weeks start to feel longer and you may begin to dread your routine. It’s like when you do the exact same thing at the gym, day after day.

The problem is not your job or your ability to perform it. It’s simply that a little time away from work can do a lot of boost your productivity as well as your attitude. When you’re tired, everything starts to bug you.

Consider these tips to help you successfully make it to your next paid holiday:

Take Some Time Off

It’s tempting to try to hold onto your personal time off for summer vacations. When you do this, your mental mileage adds up. Taking a three day weekend or even just working a half-day on a Friday can give you valuable time to relax or catch up on personal things. You can pay a price for hoarding your vacation days.

Change Your Routine

Routines are good but repeatedly doing the same thing, over and over, can start to feel like handcuffs. This can lead you down the path to burnout

You probably have certain tasks that you do at the same time every day or week. Can you perform some of those tasks at different times or in a different order? You’ll still get the work done but be mentally stimulated by the change.

Managers may want to take a different approach to routines. Sometimes introducing an element of surprise, by which I mean a good surprise, to the workplace can change the overall mood. This can be as simple as bringing in bagels and coffee for your team.

Learn or Teach

Can you break up the long stretch of five day weeks by learning something new. Picking up a new still is a great way to engage your mind.

There’s probably something in your office that could be improved with a little more knowledge. Why not take some time to address this issue, rather than always saying you’ll one day get around to it.

Another way to engage your mind is to teach. We’ve talked before about the importance of having a good backup at work. This could be a great time to give some training and improve someone on your team.

In both cases, you’re using your brain in a different way. Plus, you may enjoy interacting with other members of your organization.

Conclusion: Don’t Wait For Your Next Paid Holiday

Engage your mind in new ways during the next 98 or 133 days to keep yourself fresh
Routines should be honored but altered
Some well placed time off the job can also go a long way to helping you not stare at the calendar, dreaming of your next paid holiday.