Did you know January is plan for vacation month?

It’s a new year, and there’s no time like the present to plan your upcoming vacation. Where do you want to go in 2025?

At UC Davis, we celebrate “Plan for Vacation Month” in January to encourage faculty and staff to plan their time off for the upcoming year.

Why plan ahead?

Depending on how long you want to take time off and how much your vacation will cost, it’s ideal to plan ahead for multiple reasons:

• Reduces stress
• Something to look forward to
• You, your team, and your department can plan accordingly

Reduces stress

Planning ahead helps reduce stress because it allows you time to create a budget, search for deals and discounts, and research places you want to travel to or activities you want to participate in. You also have more flexibility in securing your preferred hotel, bed and breakfast, or Airbnb.

“For those of us with busy and demanding work, it can feel like there is never a good time to take a break. However, I encourage all of us to find that sacred time and protect it resolutely. Having vacation time identified on our calendars becomes a wonderful island of future calm that we can preserve and smile about on those hard days.” – Carol Kirshnit, Director of the Academic and Staff Assistance Program

Something to look forward to

Many of us are used to a routine, which can be reassuring. However, many individuals yearn for adventure and exploration. Planning a vacation ahead of time gives you and any accompanying travelers something to look forward to. Make a countdown calendar or paper ring to get everyone into the spirit.

“Vacations don’t begin and end with your travel dates. In fact, planning and anticipating a trip long before your departure is as meaningful as the adventure and respite of the trip itself. Planning time away gives us something to look forward to. Your enthusiasm can also inspire others to think about their next getaway.” – Sara Aghamohammadi, Chief Wellness Officer

Teams, departments can plan accordingly

If you plan to be out for a few days or an extended period, it’s beneficial that your team receives advance notice, too. This is particularly important when departments need to create shifts or schedules ahead of time to ensure that roles and responsibilities are covered during your well-deserved absence.

“Nearly 50 percent of workers say they don’t take all their paid time off because they’d feel bad about their co-workers taking on additional work. For many units and departments, making individual vacations happen should be a collective effort as part of an overall plan for success. Advanced notice and subsequent planning are critical for a department to ensure smooth operation – allowing each member to get their deserved well-being while providing coverage and accomplishing work strategies.” – Sandy Batchelor, WorkLife Manager

For more information about planning your vacation, visit the WorkLife website.

Already have a vacation planned or want to share an amazing vacation you had in 2024? Email Carolyn Ramirez, internal communications lead, at cjramirez@ucdavis.edu. A story about where UC Davis and UC Davis Health community members are traveling (or recently traveled) will be published in the coming months.