As summer kicks into high gear, many lab managers and their teams are eyeing the calendar, trying to carve out a few precious days for vacation. But if you’re like most employees, there’s a good chance you left vacation days unused last year—or worse, you took time off but never truly unplugged.
A new meta-analysis from the University of Georgia offers a compelling reason to reconsider that. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, examined 32 studies across nine countries and found that vacations have a much stronger, longer-lasting positive impact on employee well-being than previously thought.
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For lab managers balancing packed schedules, budget pressures, and staffing challenges, this research offers a timely reminder: time off is not a luxury. It’s an essential tool for sustaining both personal and team performance and achieving work-life balance.
Benefits of taking time off work
“The theme of the paper is that vacations create longer-lasting benefits than previously thought,” said Ryan Grant, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Job demands and job stress are on the rise. But people think that they can’t take time off because they don’t want to look bad or lose out on an opportunity for promotion.”
In reality, the data suggests the opposite: time away from the lab—and from work-related thoughts—can improve well-being, reduce burnout risk, and ultimately enhance productivity.
But there’s a catch. For a vacation to be truly restorative, employees need to disengage from work. That means no email check-ins, no “quick” work calls, and no ruminating on lab problems while hiking a trail or lounging at the beach.
“If you’re not at work but you’re thinking about work on vacation, you might as well be at the office,” Grant said. “Vacations are one of the few opportunities we get to fully just disconnect from work.”
Move your body, lift your spirits
The study also found that people who engaged in physical activities during vacation reported higher well-being and a greater sense of restoration. This doesn’t mean signing up for an ultramarathon—simply getting your heart rate up, whether through snorkeling, biking, or a casual swim, can provide both physical and mental health benefits.
“A lot of physical activities you’re doing on vacation, like snorkeling for example, are physical,” Grant noted. “So, they’re giving you the physiological and mental health benefits. But they’re also unique opportunities for these really positive experiences that you probably don’t get in your everyday life.”
Plan to decompress before and after
Longer vacations generally delivered bigger well-being boosts. But the study highlighted a potential pitfall: team members returning from extended time off may experience a steep drop in well-being as they face the realities of inbox overload and lab demands.
That’s why planning matters. The researchers recommend building in time before vacation to prepare and pack without last-minute stress, and leaving a buffer day or two after your return to ease the transition back to the work environment.
A call to lab managers
As lab managers prepare for summer schedules and holiday absences, Grant’s message is clear: don’t just allow time off—encourage your team (and yourself) to use it fully.
“We think working more is better, but we actually perform better by taking care of ourselves,” Grant said. “We need to break up these intense periods of work with intense periods of rest and recuperation.”
In the weeks ahead, consider how your lab can support healthier vacation habits—from setting clearer boundaries around availability to modeling the behavior by truly unplugging during your own well-earned time away. After all, the science is in: your well-being, and that of your team, depends on it.
