Labor Day is approaching. This holiday marks the traditional end of summer in the United States, and also signals the time for boys and girls to go back to school. While individual opinions may vary, I believe most children are looking forward to their first day back; the joy of unstructured freedom they felt in June has paled, and they now are counting the days until the return of a familiar routine. They appreciate that school is their primary concern (pardon the pun).
Of course, not all children have this experience. Some, out of parental necessity, must attend day-care even during the summer months. In other places, schools have gone to a year-round schedule, with shorter breaks between quarters. This policy may make better use of resources (buildings and staff), but I wonder if anyone has measured its effect on student motivation. There may not be enough time for these children to grow bored with their days off.
Those of us in the work force are in much the same situation as year-round students. Except for those with seasonal employment, we have only a small amount of vacation per year. Not wanting to waste this precious time, we tend to fill it with enjoyable activities; and when it's time to return to our jobs, we are in no mood to resume work. In fact, it may take several days for us to stop daydreaming about the fun we are now missing! This causes not only a drop in productivity but also a less accepting attitude toward the requirements of our employment.
If what we really want is a well-integrated life, maybe we should take a lesson from our school days, and use only part of our vacation time for travel and other pursuits. Then, the last few days, we should merely sit around doing nothing. This enforced boredom might get us to appreciate our normal routine, recognizing that it promotes stability and a sense of purpose. Maybe we would begin thinking about the things we had left undone, and so come back with new ideas and a new attitude toward them. This simple idea might lead to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and less stress. (And if not: hey! At least a vacation like this would be easier on the budget.)