While the official first day of summer is a few weeks away, Memorial Day always signals the real start of vacation season to me. This week, my social media feeds have been filled with beach scenes, family group photos and lake outings. I can almost hear the audible sigh of relief from the images; people shedding the winter blahs in favor of warmer weather, concentrated time with friends and family and a break from work.

It’s no surprise that Harvard Business Review’s deep dive topic this week was about the correlations between taking time off and performance. This isn’t a new subject – HBR’s reading list on the topic includes articles that go back to 2016 – but it is one that often bears repeating. A survey conducted by FlexJobs in 2025 found that 23% of U.S. workers had not taken a single vacation day over the previous year. Only 24% of respondents said their manager or team encouraged them to take a full week off to completely unplug, while 25% discouraged taking time away. The same survey showed:

• 43% say their workload is too heavy to justify time away

• 34% don’t have enough paid time off

• 30% fear falling behind

• 29% feel guilty or pressured to appear committed

• 19% say their employer doesn’t clearly support taking time off

In the nonprofit sector, the idea of taking vacation can be further complicated by mission-driven guilt (“our clients’ needs are more important”), understaffing (“if I’m not here, who will do the work?”), a culture of sacrifice (“the people who care the most are the ones willing to work nights, weekends, and through exhaustion”) and the real or perceived expectations of board members, donors and community partners (“I have to be accessible to them at all times”).

In reality, however, this mindset can harm rather than help. In her 2023 HBR article titled How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being, Rebecca Zucker shares that taking time off has benefits for the mind, body, and soul that result in “a more sustainable workplace with healthier, happier employees.” Failing to take time away can have negative physical effects, such as a suppressed immune system and susceptibility to serious illnesses. Zucker states, “The cognitive impact when you’re overwhelmed with work can include cognitive fatigue, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and impaired problem-solving ability, among several other effects. Taking a vacation provides greater opportunity for rest and better sleep (both quantity and quality), which can help unclutter your mind to create more mental space.”  

Knowing these things doesn’t always make taking time off any easier, but it is a muscle that can be developed with intention and practice. In the nonprofit field taking vacations is especially important because healthy organizations are built by people who have the capacity, energy, and support to stay engaged for the long term, and that requires rest.

Here are some simple, practical recommendations to help you plan and manage time away from work:

• Use your PTO throughout the year instead of waiting until burnout forces a break. Even short breaks and long weekends can improve focus, creativity and decision-making.  

• Avoid scheduling vacations immediately before major events, audits, or grant deadlines whenever possible.  

• Plan ahead before vacation by documenting key information, deadlines, and contacts.  

• Delegate responsibilities clearly instead of trying to “stay half-in, half-out.”  

• Set realistic out-of-office expectations with your team and other stakeholders and communicate them early in advance.

• Resist the urge to constantly check email while away. To fortify your willpower, disable work email from your phone and other devices.

• If fully unplugging is not realistic, create specific “check-in windows” rather than staying connected all day.  

• Protect your first day back by avoiding unnecessary meetings and giving yourself time to catch up.  

For those who lead others, consider the following:

• Normalize conversations about workload, burnout, and capacity.  

• Leaders should model healthy behavior by taking vacation themselves.  

• Don’t measure commitment by exhaustion or constant availability.  

• Cross-train team members so coverage feels manageable when someone is away. Your organization should not depend entirely on one person being available at all times.

• Boards and executives should actively encourage staff to use their earned time off.  

Taking time off helps prevent burnout, compassion fatigue and long-term exhaustion. Remember: the mission matters, but so do the people carrying it out.

(This is a topic I am passionate about. Check out my previous blogs on the topic: The Case for Taking a Break and Why I Need a Vacation. And feel free to share your vacation photos with me!)

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