3 Months In: My First Time Taking Annual Leave

Three months into my PhD I decided it was time to take some annual leave. As a PhD student who has come straight from university this was a completely new concept for me and working out HOW to take holiday from academia is not as simple as it sounds.

#1 You can take it anytime

When you’re studying, your school or university dictate when you take your holiday. However, with a PhD (and the majority of jobs) you can take holiday at any time. This was a revelation for me: you can decide when you want to take holiday and how you want to divide your time off. For example, I would prefer to have multiple long weekends across the year rather than a two-week holiday in the summer. Other people prefer to take all their holiday at Christmas to visit family. As long as you have your supervisor’s approval, any option is fine!

It is also important to think about what length of holiday suits you. Think about when you have felt most stressed or in need of time off. Do these times crop up in a pattern? Are there any tricky times of the year for you? Do you prefer summer or winter holidays? You should use all these preferences when deciding on your annual leave.

#2 Plan your annual leave across the year

Whilst you can theoretically take annual leave at any time, you need to consider your research. Is there a month that is particularly busy with conferences or deadlines? Is there a month where you will be needed in the lab? Is there a month where you need to help with another project? Being aware of these external deadlines can help you find the overlaps between when you want to take time off and when it is convenient for your work. Talk through the calendar with your supervisor to discover these recurring events and then look ahead to the times you would like to go away.

It is also important to keep track of how much annual leave you have taken so you don’t run out. The exact amount of annual leave you are entitled to will vary based on your university, as will the procedure for booking this time off. Find out both of these things early on. I have a live Teams document with my supervisor where I enter the dates I will be away. These are then totalled to show the number of days taken so far this academic year, and the number of days remaining. Some supervisors and universities are more formal regarding this process, and some are more casual. Talk to your supervisor and other students in your department to find out what annual leave will look like for you.

#3 You don’t have to be on holiday to take annual leave

A big thing I struggled with this month is feeling like I am wasting my annual leave if I use a day to do errands, have lunch with friends or get my nails done. Annual leave can be used for whatever you want. You don’t need to be on a plane to the holiday of your dreams (although if you are, lucky you!) to take time off. This month I went to Liverpool for my graduation and took a few extra days off to visit the city and catch up with friends. Lots of this trip was spent reading my book in a café and shopping for Christmas presents. But that was completely ok! As long as you have had your leave approved by your supervisor you can do anything you choose with your days off and if they leave you feeling more rested then it has never been a waste.

#4 You are not a hero for powering through

Annual leave exists for a reason. We all need time off and no matter how excited you are by your project, it is important to take time for you. The nature of research means that some periods of your PhD will be busier than others but be sure to look after yourself and take the time off that you are entitled to. It will make you a better researcher when you return, refreshed and ready to continue working. Remember, your PhD is a marathon, not a sprint. And even marathon runners need a breather sometimes.