So this is what it feels like: my first vacation in about a year and a half. My first vacation since starting my business. It’s warm. It’s fun. It’s action-packed. And I don’t mind not dealing with clients, prospects, students for a bit.
I won’t get into the details leading me to this destination. But I will say I’m glad I’ve said good-bye to e-mails and phone messages for a few days. I actually thought I’d check e-mails once a day, but cell service here won’t allow me to do that from my phone. And the resort’s business office is open for limited hours. Perhaps all the vacation gods lined up to ensure I would really take time away from reality.
I recommend you do too. Not only because it’s good for you, but also because not doing so could be deadly. Imagine my surprise and extra sighs of relief when on the plane ride home I accidentally read about karoshi: Japanese for “death from overwork.” Is it a coincidence that the latter half of the term is my brother’s nickname for me? All jokes aside, my plane magazine (AmericanWay) reveals Japanese workers averaged 2095 hours a year in the early 80s compared with 1825 a year by workers in the U.S. It got so bad in Japan, the government started discouraging 48-hour work weeks and encouraging people to take their vacations. People were actually dying or suffering long-term heart and other physical conditions. The National Defense Council for Victims of Karoshi sprang up. And now people can make karoshi claims to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. 330 out of 869 claims got approved in 2005.
As of 2005, it looks like the average employee in Japan is down to 1775 hours annually and the U.S. counterpart down to 1804. I was amazed by this article and even more relieved I got away for a few days.