With the sloth and gluttony of the festive season fast becoming a fleeting memory, January can feel like the bleakest month of the working year.   In fact, the third Monday of the month is officially classed as Blue Monday, the single most depressing day of the year.  With the summer holidays tantalisingly out of reach, it is no wonder that few of us are achieving a paradigm shift in our productivity levels.

David Bailey Kotor Bay Montenegro

As my leave year comes to an end this month, I am trying a new approach.  Instead of focussing on traditional holiday periods, I am opting instead to prioritise at least one long weekend or mid-week break each month from now until December.  These days will be dedicated to what I term Office Breaks.  A chance to break out of the ordinary and embrace new activities, destinations and experiences.  Trading crowded lifts for cobbled streets and stale air-conditioning for soothing sea air, my aim is to get the holiday feeling back on a permanent basis.

couple on bikes

While 45% of the population view leave as being vital to mental and physical health, a quarter of the UK population do not take their full leave allocation.  Unsurprisingly, a further 6% of us are left with seven or more days leave still to take.  Turning this trend on its head by prioritising regular short breaks first, I can now allocate the remaining chunk of my leave to my main summer and Christmas holiday periods.  Not rocket science perhaps but one less thing to stress about during the frantic working day.

If this post is making you feel uneasy, you are not alone as half of us feel nervous about taking our full annual leave entitlement.   Here’s five reasons why it’s time to banish the guilt.

1)      Having regular leave secured in your diary helps to increase motivation, productivity and morale throughout the year

2)      Taking regular annual leave helps to reduce stress levels, absenteeism and provides much-needed respite during intense periods of activity

3)      Booking regular breaks now will help you to avoid stock-piling  leave and the inevitable headaches this causes later on in the year

4)      Securing leave well in advance ensures that these dates are non-negotiable and won’t be rejected when the work rollercoaster takes over completely

5)      Organisations where staff regularly take annual leave report increased staff retention and and enhanced organisational reputation