What Your Reaction to Going on Vacation Says About Your Career Path

What Your Reaction to Going on Vacation Says About Your Career PathWhat Your Reaction to Going on Vacation Says About Your Career PathWhenever I take time off from work, whether its just a day or a week, I always have varying reactions to leaving. Not just an emotion toward the reason for leaving- happy because I get to spend two weeks in Asia, or fear because I have to go to the dentist (who isnt afraid of the dentist)- but also a gut feeling about parting from my job. Sometimes I worry that Ill miss something important while Im gone, sometimes I dont think about my work at all, and sometimes I worry that no one will even notice Im gone. What Ive learned is that how you feel going into vacation says a lot about you- not just how prepared you are to take off for a few days, but also how you feel about your current career path. Lets take a look at a few of the signsIf Youre Way Too Excited to LeaveYouve been checking the clock every 10 minutes, and when the time comes you leap out of your chair, practically throwing your laptop across the room. When you leave the office, you log out of email and dont even think about checking it once while youre gone.Maybe you just cant wait to meet your friends in Florida or are finally taking that trip to Europe youve planned for a year. Or maybeYou Dont Take Enough Time for YourselfIf youre leaping to the occasion, its possible this is the first time youve taken a break in a very long while.But vacation days arent meant to be your only outlet for some RR. And a lot of people only get allotted a set amount of days each year- meaning two weeks off has to satisfy someone for about 351 days worth of work. So dont wait until that one long holiday weekend to wind down. Make sure to give yourself little breaks throughout the day and the week, whether its an hour each day for lunch or an email answering curfew after 6 PM on Thursdays. If youre constantly taking time away from your daily office routine, vacation wont feel like a neces sity- but an added bonus.Its Not the Right Job for YouThe less obvious, more complicated alternative is that you really dont like your job. Now, getting excited for one vacation doesnt mean you should immediately quit and try again. But if every time you go on vacation youre practically begging to get out, and every time it ends youre devastated to return to work, thats a pretty clear sign that youre not happy with what youre doing.Vacations are great, dont get me wrong. But theyre temporary, and a life that consists of you only looking forward to days off isnt a life worth living. Its unlikely that your job will consistently bring you as much joy as a trip youve planned for months, but its way more permanent- so make it something you can look forward to each day.If Work Is All You Think About When You LeaveYoure texting your boss in the cab on the way to the airport, or you missed your train out because you had to submit just one more report. Chances areYou Didnt Prepare Beforehand Many people plan out their vacations weeks in advance- your time away from work should be planned just the same. Make a list for yourself of what needs to get done before you leave and actually do everything on that list. Be aware of what youll be missing and who you need to contact to let them know you wont be in the office. Create an email away message. The more you prepare, the easier itll be to drop everything and go.Youre Working Too HardBut, lets say you did all of that. Everythings taken care of and all you have to do is relax, but you cant.Youre likely working yourself too hard- you have done such a good job at your job that you dont know how to not do it. In this case, you probably really need the break, so take it Log out and tune out, and I promise you, nothing will implode while youre gone.If Youre Excited to Leave, But totenstill Miss the WorkFor those of you who have been looking forward to your vacation all week but are sad to go when the time comes, you probably feel one, or both, of two thingsYou Like ConsistencyIts possible its not the job you miss, but the stability of going into work every day thats making you a bit weary. Youre probably overly organized and addicted to calendars- which means a vacation away from all that terrifies you.So, think of your vacation as an experiment Now that youre not on anyones schedule but your own, what do you want to do with your time? This is your chance to figure out how you see your life outside of your job.You Love Your JobSimple as that Missing work could just mean you love the project youre creating, the people in your office, or the company you work for. You like going away, but you truly care about your job just as much. Overall, this means youre doing alright (OK, more than alright)- but even happy employees need some time off, so make sure youre not thinking about work the whole time.While most of us probably like to take vacations, we all react differently to leaving work for them. So, take musik note of how youre feeling going into your next day (or days) off and try to figure out what that means for your current position and what you want to do next. Even if next is a long ways off. Photo of person going on vacation courtesy of Tetra Images/Getty Images.