Americans are overworked, and it seems to be especially bad for young workers.
By generation, Gen Z and millennial workers are “significantly more vacation deprived and burned out” than workers over 50, according to Expedia’s latest vacation deprivation study of 14,500 adults working 16 countries.
Some would say that the best time to travel is when you are young, younger at work and have fewer responsibilities. But these workers don’t always have the authority to delegate their tasks, or they may feel the need to prove themselves while on the clock. Then there is the budget aspect of being able to travel.
CNBC Make It spoke to a handful of very busy corporate leaders with decades of work experience the same question: What would you tell your 25-year-old self about free time?
Here’s his best advice.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment to take a vacation
“There is never a perfect time. My co-founders and I started building [Boomerang] when we were twenty years old. We were paying off student loans and had no money to go anywhere. But we took every opportunity to do low budget travel that we could afford. Now that we are a little older and the company is more successful, we have the resources to travel. But we also have children and more responsibility. So it’s hard to balance having the resources in terms of time and money, versus responsibility.”
— Aye Moah, Boomerang Co-Founder and CEO
You’re not that important
“I would say to my 25-year-old self, ‘You’re not that important that your workplace can’t do without you for a couple of days.’
There was a time when I felt the need to be constantly connected to what was happening at work. And in retrospect, I’m not so sure that was the expectation of my workplace as much as it was my own ego that I thought they couldn’t overlap while I was taking three days off. And that’s silly.”
— Melanie Fish, Head of Global PR for Expedia Group Brands
Be more adventurous
“When I was younger, every five or seven years, I’d go on a trip with my parents to where they grew up in Southeast Asia. In my 20s, I’d rather hang out with my friends in Vegas.
It took me a while to think about what a privilege it was to connect not only with my family, but also with my ancestors and where I came from. Those were some of the most transformative moments I’ve had as an individual learning where I was coming from.”
— Eric Han, head of US security at TikTok
Those who have a problem with your boundaries are trying to take advantage of them
“Set boundaries and take vacations. The only people who have a problem with you setting boundaries are the people who took advantage of you not setting boundaries.
In all my years of work I have never said, “Man, I should have worked that extra day and skipped that vacation day.”
— Courtney McMillian, Head of Total Rewards at Twitter
Take some time off every day
“Taking time off every day is critical. If you’re looking forward to going on vacation in three months, oh my god, that’s a long time.
Time off doesn’t have to be an expensive, fancy vacation. You may turn off your devices after hours. Free time could be between lunch and the next meeting. Free time can be dinner time with the family. Small exercises throughout the day can go a long way, whether it’s a two-minute meditation or time spent stretching. Take this time for yourself.”
— Dr. Geeta Nayyar, Chief Medical Officer, Salesforce
Don’t work too hard to prove yourself
“I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I’m a first-generation immigrant. And often when we come to this country, we have a tendency to overwork to prove ourselves, because we have so many obstacles to overcome. But I would say to my more young man just take a break. You’ll be better off if you do.”
— Desiree Pascual, Director of People at Headspace Health