My wife and I love to travel in Europe. We call it "vacation," the residents call it "holiday." Inevitably, we'll be asked, "how long are you on holiday?" When we tell our fellow traveler we're on vacation a week, they always react in shock. "You're just getting used to the time change!" they proclaim.
A new survey finds that it actually takes Americans four days to unwind and stop thinking about the office while on vacation. Which means our European friends are correct.
That means only 43% or three days of a seven-day vacation is actually spent relaxing.
And then there are the people who struggle to even get away from the office in the first place. The truth is, 79% of people have a hard time getting away on a real vacation, with feeling guilty about leaving the office the biggest reason they don’t take time off (37%), followed by fears that vacation will keep them from getting a promotion (26%).
Overall, 15% of Americans say they feel guilty or stressed when taking vacations, with 43% saying they have a hard time completely shutting off while away. Considering that fact, it’s not surprising that the average American will check work emails nine times a day on vacation, which is the same amount of time they spend checking Facebook and Instagram.