How to Prevent Burnout by Planning All Your Vacation Time
This has been my strategy for 30 years. Every single year, before the busyness sets in, I sit down and map out my time off — my two-week stretch, my week-long getaway, and when full weeks aren't possible, my three-day breaks, paced intentionally throughout the year. The result? I always knew when my next break was coming. And that visibility alone changes everything.
The best part is you have all of the tool already. It doesn't require a wellness app or a mindfulness retreat. Just open your calendar and schedule your vacation. All of it.
Why Does Planning Vacation Early Actually Prevent Burnout?
Burnout doesn't just come from working too hard; it comes from working with no end in sight. When you can't see a break on the horizon, every hard week feels indefinite and becoming disengaged is the natural outcome. But when you know a reset is coming in six weeks? You can push through. You have something to look forward to. That psychological runway matters more than most leaders realize.
How Should You Space Your Time Off Throughout the Year?
Part of what makes this work is intentionality. Think about when you historically hit walls. For most leaders, there are predictable low points — mid-winter, late summer, the Q4 sprint. Schedule your breaks to land just before or during those moments, not after you're already depleted.
One of my favorite tricks if you have limited days off: stack your vacation days around federal holidays. You get more time away using fewer PTO days, which means more frequent and longer breaks throughout the year.
That being said, I don’t recommend using this strategy around Thanksgiving or Christmas. They seem like obvious times to tack on a few extra days, but those weeks are often consumed by hosting, travel logistics, family obligations, and social pressure. Instead of using those extra days to rest (like you convince yourself you’ll do), you’ll just use that time to prep for the holiday. And then, you’ll return to work more tired than when you left. Save those days for a trip or a stretch of genuine downtime — when rest is the only agenda.
How Do You Make Sure You Actually Unplug?
Remember that time before cell phones and email? The world didn’t end then, and it won’t end now. Turn on your out-of-office. No exceptions. It signals to your team that you trust them, and it signals to yourself that you've actually stepped away. You've planned this break — protect it like you would any other strategic priority.
Because here's the truth: the work will always be there. But a leader running on empty helps no one.
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