You know, and I know, getting rest is important. We as humans need breaks every day, good sleep at night, and, yes, the occasional vacation to reset. A few days or weeks away from work can help you gain perspective on your life, clear your head, support your mental health, and ultimately help you be more productive on the job. But according to a recent Glassdoor survey, 23 percent of respondents didn’t take all of their earned vacation time. And 66 percent of those who took time off said they worked during their time away from the office.

Getting away from the daily grind will make you a better employee. Here’s why!
Studies have shown that taking time away from the job can have physical and mental health benefits. People who take PTO and/or vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals. If you still need a little convincing, we put together a few reasons we feel are the most important to taking time away from work.

1. Clarity: When you push yourself to work too many days in a row, eventually your brain will start to push back. Your thoughts will get cloudy, your creativity will diminish, and you’ll have a harder time dealing with stress. If you don’t rest your brain, the side effects will continue to multiply. Luckily, even a single day off can bring you back into a state of mental clarity.

2. Productivity: When we start to feel burned out at work, even the simplest of tasks becomes a challenge. Our passion starts to dull, and we lose some of our drive. If you’ve ever felt refreshed after stepping away from your desk and taking a walk, you understand how a break can improve your productivity. Take off a few days or a week and you’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on new challenges.

3. Balance: It’s hard to maintain a positive work-life balance in even the best of circumstances. When you’re overworked, you can start to lose your sense of self. Your hobbies and interests fall to the wayside as you focus all of your energy on your career. Taking time away from work gives you a chance to rekindle your joy and remember what life was like before you became relentlessly busy.

The bottom line is, take your PTO. It is given to you for a reason and you shouldn’t feel guilty to use it. When you take time away from the stresses of work and daily life, it can improve our physical and mental health, motivation, relationships, job performance and perspective. A little PTO can help you feel refreshed and more prepared to handle whatever comes when you return.