Beatrice van der Heijden: "Especially meaningful for anticipation and optimization"
According to Beatrice van der Heijden, Professor of Strategic Human Resource Management, a holiday is more than just taking a rest. “Time for reflection is incredibly important for your career. You also need to be able to anticipate future labor market demands in order to remain an expert in your work.” In her research, Van der Heijden focuses on employability—the ability of employees to remain productive and relevant in the workforce. She examines this not only in the short term, but also over the long haul. Van der Heijden distinguishes five dimensions of employability: occupational expertise, anticipation and optimization, personal flexibility, organizational sensitivity, and balance. If a worker can strengthen these competencies and apply them effectively, it has a positive impact on their career, she explains.
“Holidays are particularly meaningful for your anticipation and optimization. It gives you a chance to reflect on your career so far, your future aspirations, to think about what you want and can develop, and what steps you need to take to remain employable.”
Van der Heijden emphasizes the importance of shaping holidays in a way that feels right for you. “The most important thing about holidays are that you're not programmed, but that you make conscious choices for yourself. Want to do absolutely nothing for two weeks—sleep in and lounge around? Plan it for yourself, do it consciously, and don’t get distracted by what others do on their holidays. If instead you recharge through active travel schedules and workouts, that’s great too. The point is to do what makes you happy in that moment.”
Esther Kluwer: "Choose a holiday that suits you"
Esther Kluwer, Professor by special appointment Sustainable Relationships and Wellbeing, also highlights the importance of holidays. “Scientific literature shows that holidays have a positive effect on our well-being”, she explains. “It’s a time to recover, relax, and reflect. It’s well-known that stress levels drop, which is good for relationships, including within families. Doing new things together also has a positive effect on relationship quality.”
However, Kluwer emphasizes that the holiday must be of good quality. “You should really rest, be in a pleasant environment, and relax. Choose the holiday that suits you. Some people benefit from routine—that’s why many return to the same destination every year, as it brings them peace. Others love to seek out adventure.”
She advises taking time to wind down before the start of a holiday. “Don’t cram your last workweek full. And don’t leave for your trip the day after your final workday. Rest up first, so you’re fit enough to navigate the hustle and bustle of, say, Paris. Because if you start your holiday completely stressed out, you can’t expect it to be fun right away.”
Sabine Geurts: "Good to be away from your usual study environment"
Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology Sabine Geurts emphasizes the importance of truly recharging, especially for students. “It’s important to really relax and disconnect from study-related stress.” She encourages students to spend part of the summer elsewhere. “People recover better when they go on holiday. But of course, that’s not financially feasible for every student. A week at your parents’ house or at a festival like Lowlands can also help. To really detach from study stress, it’s good to be away from your usual study environment.”
She adds that period of holidays is the perfect time to do things you normally don’t have time for. “Like testing out your new camera or doing volunteer work. It can even be study-related, as long as it’s your own choice and comes from intrinsic motivation.”
Finally, Geurts recommends that students also use their holiday to gently prepare for the new academic year. “Think about questions like: Do I need to order any books? What does my academic year look like? This allows for a smoother transition in September and helps you hold on to the restorative effects of your holiday.”
Looking for inspiring stories about science this summer? Check out the Summer Special of Radboud Recharge.