By this time of the year most working South Africans suffer from a phenomenon known as \u201ccerebral overload\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s when you simply can\u2019t meet the ongoing demands to process any further information.<\/p>\n
With most of us at breaking point, it seems absurd that 61 per cent of those polled will be taking even less time off these holidays than last year and that a staggering 46 per cent have put in a mere five days\u2019 vacation time \u2013 leaving an average 86-million days of unused paid holiday untouched.<\/p>
This is according to a just-released mental health survey conducted by Pharma Dynamics, one of the fastest growing generic pharmaceutical providers of anti-depressants in the country.<\/p>\n
The company polled over 1 000 working men and women in South Africa during the past month, about work stressors and vacation time, to get behind the worrying trend.<\/p>
Mariska van Aswegen, spokesman of Pharma Dynamics, said what makes matters worse is that almost half (49 per cent) of those who will be taking an end-of-year break, won\u2019t be doing so without checking and responding to work emails and phone calls while on holiday, which is a sure-fire recipe for burnout.<\/p>\n
She warned that too little time off and not taking a proper break from work is detrimental to one\u2019s health, mental well-being and relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of information employees have to manage in their jobs continues to increase at an alarming rate,” she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs things stand, South African professionals spend an average 9.5 hours of their day in the office, more so than their counterparts in the US and UK, who respectively spend 8.8 and 8.2 hours respectively in the office daily.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you live in a chronic state of unresolved stress and anxiety your brain starts to mildly freeze and that\u2019s when indecisiveness or \u2018analysis paralysis\u2019 starts to set in.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou struggle to think straight and it becomes increasingly difficult to make the right calls when it comes to even the most mundane tasks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe brain requires substantial downtime to remain industrious.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking a proper holiday is as indispensable to the brain as water is to the body.\u201d<\/p>\n
As 75 per cent of respondents whole-heartedly agreed that taking a holiday greatly affects their overall happiness, why do South Africans take so little time off to recoup?<\/p>\n
Pharma Dynamics found that 60 per cent of those polled haven\u2019t asked for more year-end holiday leave because work simply demands too much of their time; 26 per cent, however, complained that their leave allocation was the bare minimum and that they, therefore, have to be selective about taking time off, while 14 per cent said their employers discourage them from taking more time off \u2013 leaving 68 per cent of respondents feeling holiday-deprived.<\/p>\n
Van Aswegen cautioned that, whatever the motivation for overwork, eventually something does give.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one can run at full capacity all of the time,” she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all get tired, pressures build up and people get anxious.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese tensions affect more than the individual employees and the office environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also come home.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily members and friends must endure the stresses and problems that arise from work, as well as from personal and family life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t pit stop on your own, life has a way of forcing you to take a break.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe survey was done in an attempt to start a conversation about why South Africans need to take, if not all, then most of their holiday leave annually, for their own physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cHolidays help us to relax, recharge, reduce stress and enable us to build closer relationships with family and friends, which makes us happier.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about how much annual leave would satisfy survey participants, 37 per cent said 30 days would make a significant difference, while 63 per cent cited anything between 18 and 27 days as reasonable.<\/p>\n
Those suffering from anxiety or compounded stress during the holidays can contact Pharma Dynamics\u2019 toll-free helpline on 0800 205 026.<\/p>\n
It is manned by trained counsellors who are on call from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.<\/p>\n