Adam Grant

It's a vicious cycle.

Shashank Nizam saw it happen at his startup, SimpliFlying.

That employee, Marco, was careful to set boundaries.

He didn't just take vacations.

He protected his nights and weekends.

Seeing this was transformative for Shashank.

Shashank learned about evidence that taking a sabbatical can reduce burnout.

When people are able to take extended leave from work, their stress declines and well-being rises, especially if they really detach from their jobs and leave their home countries.

Sometimes they also return with a better appreciation for work-life balance.

Shashank came across a designer who would shut down his company every seven years, forcing himself and his employees to take a year-long sabbatical.

But sabbaticals are rare outside academia in the military.

He realized he could start mandating short, regular vacations.

One week of vacation for seven weeks of work.

We typically think the longer the vacation, the better we'll feel.

But research suggests that the frequency of vacations is more important than the duration.

A number of studies have shown that taking a two-week vacation isn't any more restorative than going away for one week.

So if you want to reduce stress and boost well-being, instead of one long summer holiday, you're probably better off scheduling a few separate week-long vacations.

This is Baiba Drayman.

She lives in Valencia, Spain, and she's a project director at Simpliflying.

She started as an intern in 2016, right when the new vacation policy was being implemented.