May 26th, 2017

Can Going On Vacation Increase Your Productivity?

By Eric Frisch, 10x Management Writer

There’s a worrisome trend going around the workplace right now, as employees are slacking off and wasting time at epic rates. While it might not seem obvious, sometimes all you need to improve your work performance is a little rest and relaxation. The science is in, and humans perform much better with greater confidence when they give their minds and bodies an occasional break. So if you’re feeling guilty about taking time off, remember you’re doing your work a favor!

It can be easy to get stuck in a spiral of work. You feel like you’re falling behind and the only way to catch up is to work more. But according to recent research, you’re actually doing yourself a disservice by working tirelessly day after day. Think about this: the most productive countries in the world are Germany and France, each of which mandates over 30 days of paid vacation per year.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “So all I need to do is go on vacation and my work will take care of itself?” Not exactly. The trick isn’t going on vacation, but how you perform at work both before and after a vacation. When people spend less time at their desks overall, they are more focused when it comes to actually doing work. Before a vacation, people are generally more productive because they know things need to get done and there is no time to waste. After a vacation, you come back to the office feeling recharged, often work at a faster pace, feel more focused, and find yourself in a happier place, which definitely makes it easy on your co-workers.

If you’ve noticed a drop-off in productivity, and you don’t feel like instilling a new policy of 45 vacation days per year (the nerve!), hiring freelance talent can be a way to give your team a shot in the arm. With project-based work, we’ve noticed the positive effects on work output with the talent that we represent. Our 10xers are constantly facing new challenges everyday, which makes them excited to do the work and face the task at hand. We call them 10xers for a reason, because they are 10 times more productive than other coders. Unless your other coders take a lot of vacation days!

If you like this article, you might enjoy reading The Best Work in A Command Economy

Our average customer does 5.8 engagements with us.

Hiring technical talent doesn't have to be painful.

If you're tired of posting jobs and sifting through countless resumes, let 10x streamline the process by connecting you with a technologist perfectly suited to your needs.

Get in Touch