This episode is me getting honest about my struggles, with the intention that it may help you. I open up about my need to slow down and take some time off, how my lack of intentional downtime has recently hampered my drive and creativity, and why this trend of avoiding time off may impact your performance. I also highlight how the United States is the only country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 36 of the world’s wealthiest nations, that doesn’t require employers to give workers annual paid leave. This has led to The Center for Economic Policy and Research calling the U.S. the “No Vacation Nation.” Finally, I discuss signs to look out for that indicate that you may need some time off.
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What does America have against vacation?
Why Taking a Vacation Could Save your Life
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ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST:
The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals.   Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement in your life to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.  
On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago and has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.  
Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, a health and fitness app that unlocks the power of wearables by providing you with daily personalized recommendations to enhance your mind, body, and recovery.
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QUOTES  
“The key is using stress and adapting to it and improving. That’s what high performance is to me, the ability to adapt rapidly so you can achieve your potential. There are five key pillars to creating the conditions for adaptability: sleep, exercise, mental resilience, nutrition, and community/relationships.” - Dr. Erik Korem  
"Stress is your brain and body preparing you to do something effortful." Dr. Alex Auerbach
“I maybe have a different concept on leadership. To me, leading is a verb. If you’re leading, you’re a leader. If you’re swimming, you’re a swimmer, if you’re driving, you’re a driver. If you’re leading, you’re by definition, a leader. I define leading as being looked to in a particular moment to decide or perform an action based on your unique gifts and abilities. So by that definition, everybody is a leader. All rank and role really describe is how many people are hoping you get it right when it’s your turn to wear the weight.” - Clint Bruce
"Attention is the currency of performance." - Dr. Peter Haberl
“That’s what I’ve discovered in the lives of brilliant, prolific, healthy creatives, is that they have networks of people they leverage in the course of their work. That they learn from, that they were challenged by, that they gave great insight and purview into their own life and work, in such a way that they were able to receive f