“I’m caught up in a serious conflict with a colleague. I’m really worried about it and I don’t know how to sort it out. Luckily, I’m going on holiday for three weeks, which will help me step back and see things more clearly when I return.”
Paid holidays were introduced at the start of the 20th century, beginning in Germany in 1905. Since then, their benefits have been abundantly clear. Paid holidays relieve pressure and give us a chance to shake off the stress and anxiety that accumulate at work. Released from our usual obligations, we can recharge our batteries and take care of ourselves.
One effect holidays have is to break the routine that is useful for structuring our daily lives but leads in the long term to a loss of creativity and curiosity. When we go away on holiday, we often leave our comfort zone and experience new things. This gives us new ideas and helps us see things in a different light when we return. The most famous example of this is George de Mestral, the inventor of Velcro, who found his inspiration in nature when he noticed burdock flowers clinging to his trousers during a walk in the mountains.
Holidays also give us the opportunity to reduce the time we spend on the internet, or even stop using it altogether. Quitting the habit may be a bit painful at first, but ultimately helps us rediscover a feeling of freedom and relaxation, allowing us to discover new places and sensations and experience new things.
Finally, taking a break gives us the chance to get to know ourselves better. Through encounters, conversations and discoveries, we can gain a better appreciation of our possibilities and our limits. And what’s more important in our interactions with others than knowing ourselves well, so that we feel better and our relationships improve? Making the most of our holidays isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. Taking a brief break from our professional activities does us the world of good and contributes to the wellbeing of those around us, in both our professional and our private lives. So, off you go and don’t look back – enjoy your holidays!
Pierre Gildemyn
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