Do As the Swedes Do: Everyone Vacation at Once

A RECENT STUDY BY health researchers at Uppsala University found that when Swedes take time off, antidepressant prescriptions go down. Hardly surprising. More interesting was a related finding about the timing of those vacations: The more people holidayed at the same time, the greater the rate at which prescriptions decreased. It’s not hard to guess why synchronized time-off is so powerful: It’s easier to nurture relationships with family and friends when they are on leave, too; meanwhile, if the workplace is deserted while you’re trying to relax, you’re spared anxious thoughts about tasks piling up, inboxes filling, or scheming colleagues trying to steal your job. The take-away? Think about closing the store for a week and telling everyone to go forget about work. Your staff and you really will come back fully restored and rearing to work.