For many of us, the rollercoaster of the pandemic has made us reassess our work-life balance and really crave a four-day work week.

Not having to commute to the office every day may save us some money, but it can also erode the boundaries between work and leisure time. Unless you’re super-strict when it comes to keeping off emails, you may find yourself working when you really shouldn’t be.

With this in mind, it’s important to maximise your downtime by ensuring you enjoy as many sustained periods of rest as possible. So, whether you fancy an extra staycation or more time pottering in your flat, here’s how to make the most of your annual leave in 2022.

In April, you can enjoy 10 consecutive days off by booking just four days of annual leave. By taking advantage of the Easter bank holiday weekend, you’ll be off work from Friday 15th April right the way through to Sunday 24th April.

These are the days to book off:

Tuesday 19th April
Wednesday 20th April
Thursday 21st April
Friday 22nd April

In early May, you can enjoy nine consecutive days off by booking four days of annual leave. This way, your early summer break will run from Saturday 30th April all the way to Sunday 8th May.

These are the days to book off:

Tuesday 3rd May
Wednesday 4th May
Thursday 5th May
Friday 6th May

In June, we’re being given an extra bank holiday to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, turning the usual three-day weekend into a four-day weekend. So, by booking just three days of annual leave, you can enjoy nine consecutive days off from Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June.

These are the days to book off:

Monday 30th May
Tuesday 31st May
Wednesday 1st June

And finally, you can take advantage of the August bank holiday by booking four strategic days of annual leave. This will give you nine consecutive days off from Friday 27th August to Sunday 4th September.

Tuesday 30th August
Wednesday 31st August
Thursday 1st September
Friday 2nd September

Happy planning!

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?