Seriously. Take your vacation.

I love vacation. Doesn’t matter the length. Two weeks. One day. Long weekend. In my career, I have rarely carried over paid time off. Ask any of my prior managers.

In fact, one of the greatest compliments I ever got was from a former Edelman colleague who said: “You always took all your vacation, and I would think: ‘Good for her. She’s taking care of herself.’”

He was the head of the agency during my tenure, which gave the statement more heft for a couple reasons. One, my vacation habits stood out enough for him to remember them 20 years later. That could be good or bad, but based on how he framed it, we’ll notch it up to good.

Two, skeptics could say, even if you’re calling it “good,” it was clearly a subject of discussion at the leadership level back in those early aughts. Probably not ideal at a time when the dot com boom bred an intensity and commitment to work that challenged everyone’s grasp on mental health.

Personally, I think it’s a little of both and the reason my proclivity to clock out is memorable now is because the pandemic reframed how we think about the boundaries we set between work and personal life. There is a greater desire for balance.

At least that’s what I thought. Until I was standing in front of a group of roughly 20 women at all stages of their professional journeys and asked: “How many of you used all of your vacation time in 2023?”

According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, only 48% of U.S. workers say they use all of their vacation days.

Guess how many people raised their hands? Two. Two! The rest sheepishly diverted their eyes. I was stunned. Only 10% of these women tapped their vacation time last year. That’s nearly 5-times worse than the national average.

According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, only 48% of U.S. workers say they use all of their vacation days. Top reasons for those who don’t use them are they fear falling behind, don’t think they need it, or they feel badly asking co-workers to carry their load while they’re out. There is even still a perception that taking time-off will impact opportunities for promotion or cost them their jobs, and a small number say their manager discourages it.

As a leader of an organization, I’m stunned. I truly believe that there is no one an organization can’t live without for a couple weeks, let alone a few days. That includes the CEO. If that’s not the case, the company is doing something wrong.

Why do I think using vacation time is so important? Just Google “what are the benefits of taking time off from work?” You’ll find a laundry list of physical and mental benefits related to checking out from the job. Everything from reducing heart disease risks to increasing creativity.

Plus, carving out space for yourself is critical to setting boundaries, which I believe is essential to personal and professional success. Oh, and email? Don’t check it. It’s not a vacation — nor are you setting clear boundaries or setting a good example — if you’re looking at your phone and responding to emails the entire time.

Carving out space for yourself is critical to setting boundaries, which I believe is essential to personal and professional success

A change of scenery is ideal, but I realize that may not always be possible. It doesn’t have to be a two-week trip to Europe. It could be a week staycation or a long weekend road trip to a remote camping destination or to visit friends. The key is to get away from your work and recharge.

(Pro tip: When traveling abroad or to a new, interesting destination for business, try adding a couple days — at your own expense, of course — to explore. Air is already covered and, if your boss and schedule allow, it’s a great way to mark places off your bucket list.)

You may be reading this and thinking: “Wow. My manager/employer would never support this” or “Whenever I take time off, I get calls from work.” (The latter happened to me while I was on maternity leave with my son. Not one of my fondest memories.)

If either of those thoughts are going through your head, I’d encourage you to consider how you might ask for what you need and practice setting boundaries where you can. Or, perhaps, explore new opportunities at a different organization.

Are companies required, by law, to offer vacation time? No. It’s considered a perk, like sick leave and 401ks*. They’re all part of your total compensation package. Companies need to have competitive compensation to attract great talent. Vacation is part of that. Would you leave cash on the table? No. Of course not. So why are you leaving vacation hours? It is literally time that is owed to you.

So, I have a challenge for you. Sure, you’ve set your New Year’s resolutions already, and the majority of you have probably already blown them. (Research suggests that only 9% of people who make resolutions complete them; 43% quit by end of January).

Let’s set a goal that’s achievable and within reach: Use all of your vacation time in 2024. Take that trip. Visit that friend. Clean the basement. I don’t care what you do. Just take the time off. Your brain and body will thank you.

And if you're worried that you won’t be able to achieve your professional goals by taking advantage of this basic perk, let me just remind you: I made it to CEO using every second of paid time off…and I still do it. In fact, I might argue it’s because of boundaries I’ve set on my professional journey that I am where I am today.

But that’s another column for another time.

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*Don’t even get me started on contributing to 401ks and getting your employer match. It should be a no-brainer. The employer match is free money! Thankfully, 60% of those who have access to 401ks contribute to them, far better than vacation time usage. On a related note, sick leave isn’t mandated by Federal law which seems crazy. It is, however, required in some states. But I digress.