5 Benefits of Taking Your Paid Leave

Skipped a break. Canceled a trip. Answered emails while technically on leave. We’ve all done it. Sometimes it’s the workload. Other times, it’s the guilt. But let’s be real: unused paid leaves doesn’t make you a better employee—it just makes you more tired.

In many workplaces, especially fast-paced industries in the Philippines, not taking leave has become an invisible badge of dedication. But more and more women are unlearning that mindset and treating rest not as a reward, but a responsibility to themselves. 

So why do so many still hold back from taking time off? And what actually happens when we do?

Taking the time off for yourself is a power move, and it’s one of the best things you can do for your mental health, career, and overall well-being. Here are five reasons why reclaiming your paid leaves might just be the healthiest decision you make this year, according to experts.

1. It protects your mental health.

The most obvious benefit of taking time off is also the most overlooked. Taking the time to rest is not just about catching up on sleep or on your latest Netflix queue, but it’s also letting your mind and body take a break, even if it’s just for 24 hours.

Licensed psychologist and psychometrician Kim Carlo D. Balboa, RPSy, RPm, of MindNation, who also holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology, says, “Paid leave functions as an important protective factor against work-related stress and burnout.”

Continuous exposure to heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and overlapping deliverables lead to decreased productivity, and decline in activity in the prefrontal cortex—the part of our brain responsible for decision-making, focus, and self-regulation. 

He says that paid leaves should not be considered a luxury, but a psychological necessity. It strengthens cognitive functioning, enhances emotional balance, and ultimately enables employees to return to work more focused, creative, and engaged.

Mairen M. Buan, the head of human resources at AGC Power Holdings Corporation, who has over 10 years of experience in HR says, “From my observation, when employees don’t take enough leaves, they often express that they feel tired, but [they] still avoid filing because they believe they have too much work to do.”

According to her, while not taking your paid leave reflects your strong motivation and a sense of care and responsibility to work, the downsides are fatigue, burnout, and a decline in work quality. 

“As [part of the HR team], we remind both employees and leaders that taking paid leaves is essential for maintaining well-being and sustaining good performance,” she says.

2. It reduces burnout before it starts.

Burnout doesn’t show up all at once. It creeps in quietly—through irritability, brain fog, fatigue, and that gnawing feeling that you’re always behind, no matter how hard you try to keep up. The irony is, employees often wait until they’re already burned out to take time off, when it’s already too late. 

Buan says, “The signs of burnout are clear—[employees] often say they feel pressured and tired, they get sick more frequently, and some even start thinking of resigning. In some cases, they’ve also shared mental health struggles, which reinforces why time off is so important.”

Licensed psychometrician and former HR practitioner Aira Mikaela Concepcion, RPm, shares her firsthand experience on burnout: “I was working long hours, frequently doing overtime, and even spent most of my Saturdays at work. I barely had time to rest, see my family, do hobbies, or socialize. I started losing my appetite and would cry almost every day after work. I didn’t even feel hunger anymore—I ate just because I had to.”

Eventually, she began experiencing physical symptoms like chest pain, headaches, and insomnia. These are all clear signs that her body was sounding the alarm. For her, it wasn’t just physical exhaustion anymore, but a deeper form of emotional and mental burnout.

From this, she learned the critical importance of taking breaks and prioritizing mental health. “Rest, I’ve learned, is not a reward but a necessary part of maintaining well-being and long-term success in any career,” she says. 

“Disengaging from continuous work demands allows the nervous system to down-regulate, reducing chronic stress responses and preventing the cognitive and emotional exhaustion that can culminate in burnout,” Balboa agrees.

Paid leave isn’t just a bandage for burnout. It’s a way to prevent it. It’s a physiological reset that helps the brain recover from sustained pressure, improving both mental clarity and emotional resilience.

3. It helps you reconnect with your life outside work.

Here’s a reality check: taking a day off for yourself won’t make the world burn. Instead, it gives you space to do the things you love but haven’t had the energy for. In fact, even just a simple dinner with family and friends can be an emotional reset.

Stepping away from stressors gives your mind and body the chance to recharge through restorative activities, whether that means enjoying hobbies, spending quality time with loved ones, or simply laying on your couch doing absolutely nothing. 

These moments help boost positive emotions and trigger the release of dopamine, a chemical linked to motivation, satisfaction, and emotional resilience, says Balboa. 

Concepcion shares that she’s personally felt the difference that time off can make. After taking a five-day leave for a trip, she returned to work feeling more focused, productive, and energized. “What made it even more meaningful was being completely unplugged—no emails, no calls—just time to rest and reset,” she says.

So, don’t think twice about planning a long weekend to La Union, or a quick trip to Tagaytay, especially if your body is telling you to.

4. It’s actually good for your team and productivity.

Contrary to the hustle culture, taking your leave doesn’t let your team down. In fact, it can make your work and your workplace better. If you feel overwhelmed, and exhausted all the time, chances are you won’t be able to perform as well as you can when you’re in the right emotional state. 

Prioritizing rest allows employees to safeguard their mental health, maintain overall well-being, and come back to work with greater energy, clarity, and the ability to perform at their best.

Stepping away also gives others in your team space to step up, take ownership, and grow. It’s not about dropping the ball—it’s about making sure the whole team gets a chance to reset and recalibrate. Plus, you normalize rest, and encourage your team to take healthy breaks and prioritize themselves. 

“I’ve seen that when employees truly take time for themselves, they return with renewed energy, fresh ideas, and stronger engagement,” Buan says, “For sick leaves, even on work-from-home days, we stress that health comes first, and employees who take the time to recover always come back more productive and focused.”

“Paid leave is an investment in one’s holistic health that allows individuals to return to their roles with renewed clarity, energy, and psychological capacity,” Balboa adds.

5. You earned it—and it’s part of your compensation.

Let’s not forget the basics: Paid leave is part of your employment package. If you’re skipping it, you’re essentially leaving money (and mental recovery) on the table. 

You don’t have to earn the right to rest. You already have. 

“Taking time off should never be equated with neglect or weakness,” Balboa says. “It is an act of responsibility toward oneself, one’s work, and the people one serves.”

That said, if you’ve been holding off on that leave request, waiting for the “right time,” feeling guilty about taking space, or thinking you need to hit some invisible quota before you earn a break—this is your sign!

You don’t need to justify it, or overexplain it. You just need to take it. Because rest isn’t selfish. It’s smart. It’s a form of self-awareness. It helps you show up for your work and for yourself in a way that’s sustainable, not just impressive. 

Reclaiming your time off isn’t about slacking, it’s about staying well. You deserve the break. And more than that, you’ll be better for it.