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A few weeks ago, I almost cancelled my vacation at the last minute because I was worried about falling behind at work and at home.

According to new research from recruitment firm Robert Half, my situation isn’t unique. The company found four in 10 Canadian professionals aren’t using all of their paid vacation time.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. I had more than enough vacation accrued, had booked the trip months in advance and had already paid for it. Yet, in a moment of stress, following through somehow felt like there wasn’t enough upside.

Why we don’t take vacation

At the time, I had several major projects underway at work. I had finally managed to schedule a contractor to fix my long-standing loose toilet seat, and my list of household chores seemed to grow by the day.

Those worries weren’t much different from what many Canadians say keeps them from taking time off.

According to Robert Half’s research, 32 per cent of workers leave vacation days unused because they’re worried their workload will pile up while they’re away, making burnout even worse when they return. The extra time it takes to prepare for vacation and extra work required to clear the backlog when workers return is often referred to as the time-off tax.

No one was able to fill my spot for the trip on short notice, so I prepared the best I could, shuffled a few appointments and headed into Alberta’s backcountry.

Why we must take vacation

The trip was with my mom and her wonderful group of friends. About 15 of us hiked 14 kilometres to Shadow Lake Lodge, a backcountry oasis tucked beneath the mountains, complete with cozy cabins and welcoming communal spaces.

For two days, I basked in the sun, read more than 100 pages of a book and, thanks to the lack of cell service, barely looked at my phone. It was the most peaceful I had felt in months.

Over a glass of wine one evening, I shared an epiphany with anyone within earshot. I’d gotten much better at recognizing when I was overwhelmed and cutting back on commitments. The problem was I had developed a habit of cutting the wrong things.

Trying to skip a planned vacation so I could spend more time working and tackling chores suddenly felt completely backward.

Psychologist Susan Albers says that’s exactly why vacations matter. They interrupt our stress cycles and help us return to work healthier and more effective.

“When we step away from our routine, our brains reset,” Dr. Albers says. “Any time we experience a new activity, new neural connections form in the brain. Those new pathways help you see things from different perspectives and improve your problem-solving skills. It also decreases some of those stress hormones, which improves your mood.”

So consider this your reminder. Amid the deadlines, errands and endless to-do lists, book the vacation. The work will still be there when you get back. And chances are, you’ll be better equipped to tackle it.

73 per cent

That’s how many leaders say their organization will likely create new entry-level roles focused on artificial intelligence over the next two years, according to global professional services company Accenture’s latest Pulse of Change report.

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If you’re one of the workers who struggle to take vacation time, Toronto-based clinical psychologist Monica Vermani writes in Psychology Today that the first step is recognizing it’s happening.

From there, she says it’s important to treat your personal time as a priority, not something that happens if work slows down. Put vacation days on the calendar, even if there never seems to be a perfect time to take them. Communicate your boundaries at work and, if they seem impossible to maintain, it may be a sign the workplace isn’t the right long-term fit.

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