Do you work to live, or live to work? Those of us who think it$$s a choice might be wrong. Almost one$-$third of $1,000$ respondents in a study by Kelton Research cited workload as a reason for not using allotted vacation days. Consider Ken Waltz, a director for Alexian Brothers Health System. He has $500$ hours $($approximately $3$ months$)$ in banked time off and no plans to spend it$.$You$$re on call $24/7$ and these days, you$$d better step up or step out,$$ he says, referring to today$$s leaner workforce. $$It$$s not just me$$it$$s upper management.... It$$s everybody.$$

Many people feel pressure, spoken or unspoken, to work through their vacation days. Employers expect workers to do more with less, putting pressure on workers to use all available resources$$chiefly their time$$to meet manager expectations. In today$$s economy, there is always a ready line of replacement workers, and many employees will do everything possible to stay in their manager$$s good graces.

The issue of vacation time is an ethical choice for the employer and for the employee. Many organizations have $$use it or lose it$$ policies whereby employees forfeit the paid time off they have accrued for the year if they haven$$t used it$.$ When employees forfeit vacation, the risk of burnout increases. Skipping vacation time can wear you down emotionally, leading to exhaustion, negative feelings about your work, and a reduced feeling of accomplishment. You may find you are absent more often, contemplate leaving your job, and grow less likely to want to help anyone $($including your managers$).$ Even though these are negative consequences for your employer as well as for you personally, the employee must often take charge of the situation. Here are some ways you can maintain your well$-$being and productivity:

Recognize your feelings. We solve few problems without first recognizing them. According to a recent study by ComPsych involving $2,000$ employees, two in three identified high levels of stress, out$-$of$-$control feelings, and extreme fatigue.

Identify your tendency for burnout. Research on $2,089$ employees found that burnout is especially acute for newcomers and job changers. Burnout symptoms should level off after $2$ years, but each individual experiences stress differently.

Talk about your stressors. Thomas Donohoe, a researcher on work$$life balance, recommends talking with trusted friends or family. On the job, discussing your stress factors in an appropriate manner can help you reduce job overload.

Build in high physical activity. Research found an increase in job burnout $($and depression$)$ was highest for employees who did not engage in regular physical activity, while it was almost negligible for employees who did engage in regular physical activity.

Take brief breaks throughout your day. For office employees, the current suggestion from experts is to spend at least $1$ to $2$ minutes of every hour standing up to combat the effects of all$-$day sitting. Donohoe also suggests snack breaks, walks, or short naps to recharge.

Take your vacation! Studies suggest that recovery from stress can happen only if employees are $(1)$ physically away from work and $(2)$ not occupied by work$-$related duties. That means telling your manager that you will log off your e$-$mail accounts and shut off your phone for the duration of the vacation.It is not always easy to look beyond the next deadline. But to maximize your long$-$term productivity and avoid stress, burnout, and illness$$all of which are ultimately harmful to employer aims and employee careers alike$$you should not succumb to vacation deficit disorder. Educate your managers. Your employer should thank you for it$.$