With burnout levels higher than ever before, and more young people experiencing ambition burnout, taking time off has never been more vital.

It goes without saying that the first step is making sure you don’t waste your annual leave. No good boss ever makes it uncomfortable to ask for a break, even at short notice. The next step is to maximise the value of your annual leave days by converting them into sustained breaks with no emails and no Zoom.

So, whether you fancy an extra staycation or a little more time for self-care, here’s how to make the most of your annual leave in 2023.

In April, you can enjoy a 10-day break by booking just four days of annual leave. By taking advantage of the Easter bank holiday weekend, you’ll be off work from Friday 31st March right the way through to Sunday 9th April.

These are the days to book off:

Monday 3rd April
Tuesday 4th April
Wednesday 5th April
Thursday 6th April

In May and June, there are two opportunities to enjoy nine days off by booking four days of annual leave. In each case, you’ll be taking advantage of the traditional May bank holidays.

These are the days to book off:

Tuesday 2nd May
Wednesday 3rd May
Thursday 4th May
Friday 5th May

Tuesday 30th May
Wednesday 31st May
Thursday 1st June
Friday 2nd June

Later in the summer, 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 Saturday 26th August to Sunday 3rd September.

Tuesday 29th August
Wednesday 30th August
Thursday 31st August
Friday 1st September

And finally, by requesting four annual leave days over Christmas, you can enjoy a 10-day festive break from 23rd December to 2nd January. Blissful right?

These are the days to book off:

Wednesday 27th December
Thursday 28th December
Friday 29th December

Happy calendar planning!

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