Did you know that many employees with paid vacation time never use it? It is important for everyone to take a little time off to refresh and relax.  So why do more and more workers not take vacation? Yahoo! HotJobs has more:

Why Create More Work?
There are several reasons why workers don’t use all their vacation time: having too much work to do to take a vacation (36%), not being able to afford a getaway (34%), wanting to save vacation time for emergencies (32%), and worrying about coming back to an excessive workload after a vacation (15%).

Taking a “Mental Health Day”
When people do take time off, it’s often used in ways unrelated to vacations. In fact, nearly a third of respondents (31%) said they use the time to run errands, such as doctor visits, and 30% said they often use vacation time as “mental health days” to cope with stress.

Make the most of the time you DO decide to take of.

• Choose the vacation that best meets your needs. You may need a peaceful retreat from stress, or you may benefit from something more active and exciting. Avoid the kind of vacation that will leave you even more exhausted than before.

• Plan ahead for your time off. Take practical steps to manage your workload with your upcoming vacation in mind. Try to wrap up important projects before you leave. Don’t leave behind time-sensitive tasks that only you can handle.

• Enlist help. Ask a trusted coworker to back you up while you’re away and offer to return the favor. It’s much easier to relax when you know someone’s got you covered.

• Have no regrets. You earned the vacation, so enjoy it!

You deserve some time off, and your family will appreciate you more when you are less stressed.  Balancing a career and family is always a challenge, so dont add more stress by not taking some time for your self.