
In fact, the way we spend our time away from work is especially important in a high-pressure culture where the percentage of employers offering paid vacations dropped to 87 percent last year, from 95 percent in 1999, according to information compiled by the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va.

employees working more than 50 hours per week, according to the National Sleep Foundation, specialists say hobbies and vacations ease workplace stress, stave off burnout and encourage creativity.
