why I'm taking my vacation days

Dear Fellow Americans, why don't we take our vacation days? Really think about it, when was the last time you took the days owed to you? And if you did, did you feel guilty about it? 

On average, Americans only get 10 vacation days a year, compared to the 20+ days in other developed countries. We just don't value self-care here as much as other cultures. Whether we forgo our breaks because we feel that we have to, or that "now is just not a good time for a break", the average American doesn't take all their vacation days. To be honest, a big part of why I'm even writing this all out, is to remind myself of the importance of taking time away. With dental school, this week marks the transition between the end of summer term and the start of the fall semester, which means it's a week off. That being said, clinic is optional. As in, we were strongly encouraged to see patients this week. And by strongly encouraged, I mean I felt pressured into sticking around and putting in all the hours during my so called "week off". With writing this I feel all the guilt and a little bit anxious about how it might be perceived that I took the time owed me, which is crazy. And I know personally, that when it's all said and done, there will be times where I will think to myself "oh, you could have gotten caught up on this" or "ahead one that" if you had stayed during break. But I'm just going to take a deep breath and try and remind myself that it's nonsense. Because while it's counterintuitive, the research genuinely shows that people who take more breaks and vacation days are actually significantly more efficient and productive than those who don't. I'm not interested in constantly working non-stop only to be burned out. And that is why I'm taking my vacation days.