Planning to take your holiday entitlement: Ten tips

1. Holidays are a time for refreshment and recouperation. Machines have downtime - you need it too!

2. Plan to take some time out each quarter if possible. Don't let yourself go too long without a break as this can drain your energy and lead to illness.

3. Putting yourself first sometimes is not selfish: it is responsible. If you let yourself get tired you are more likely to get ill and then you are no use to your work team or to your family.

4. See the holiday as a period of creativity - a time to broaden your perspectives. This way you won't feel so guilty about it but will know that you will return to work with better ideas to share and more energy to contribute.

5. When you are tired you generally work more slowly and make more mistakes. Take enough holiday to make sure you don't suffer from fatigue. Discuss your aspirations with your manager and with your team - you are likely to find that everyone can work flexibly around one another to mutual satisfaction.

6. Tired minds don't think clearly. Sometimes even one day off to refresh can make a difference to how you think and feel about work and life. If you are a manager make sure you role model this example in order to get the most from your team.

7. Holiday doesn't always equal going abroad - treat yourself and your loved ones to a day out where you just allow your mind to focus on them and not on work. It does you all good. Or get that health check you don't usually have time for.

8. Family life is important on all levels. Human beings need love. Society needs cohesion and family life provides this. Organisations need a functioning society in which to thrive. Therefore happy family life provides the ingredients for a thriving economy.

9. Identify what is important to you and make this priority. Many divorces result from the partner being placed at the bottom of the priority list and feeling neglected. Divorce is personally distressing and a real cost to business. It also impacts productivity and career progression so make your partner a priority in your life. Love is not something you can pick up on a supermarket shelf - it deserves nurturing.

10. Know yourself and listen to your body's signals. If you are feeling tired physically it means that your mind won't be working well either so take time out. It is your own responsibility.