Can't Catch a Break: Is Rest and Relaxation Out of Reach in 2026?

Key takeaways:

• 42% of people spend their vacation time doing chores or house projects, 38% catch up on sleep, and 20% work on side hustles.

• 68% have altered their 2026 travel plans due to current events, with cost the biggest cause for concern.

• Given the choice, 72% would prefer a raise over more paid vacation days.

• 31% of those heading away are turning to AI to make planning a trip easier, yet 48% have experienced issues as a result.

Book a flight, pack a bag, turn on your out-of-office, and jet off… If only taking a well-earned vacation were that easy. 

Between soaring costs and shrinking budgets, workloads that follow us away, and crazy headlines that refuse to take a rest, catching a break (let alone a flight) is proving harder than ever in 2026.

Headway app surveyed 2,000 people on how they will use their paid time off this year, whether that dream trip is just a dream, and why their feet will be staying firmly on the ground.

Bon voyage, burnout: Is PTO the ultimate work perk?

Salary? Open to discussion. Shift patterns? There’s always wiggle room. But vacation time? That’s one area many aren’t willing to negotiate, with 22% having walked away from a job offer over a bad PTO policy.

If offered unlimited vacation days, 78% of employees would take full advantage.

Whether their employer sees the benefits of downtime or views days off as wage theft, most agree that no matter how much time we’re allowed, it never quite feels like enough.

An $80k job or a $100k job? It sounds like a no-brainer. But while nobody is turning down a raise, many see having free time to travel, rest, learn, and grow as equally valuable. 

Given the choice, 38% of people would sacrifice a fifth of their salary for truly unlimited, no-strings PTO.

Sun & sand Sleep & side hustles: How we spend our vacations

The dream: cocktails by the pool. The reality: chores, caregiving, and catching up on sleep.

For many, vacation days are just a different kind of work. Some 42% power through their to-do list of chores and house projects, while 20% focus on freelancing or side hustles, and 12% devote it to job hunting.

Likewise, for many, rest is the ultimate luxury, with 38% spending their time off catching up on sleep and 33% doing absolutely nothing.

Clearly, workers need more time off – but the problem isn’t always a stingy employer vacation policy. Rather, 49% actively choose not to take their full allowance, with 24% leaving 1-3 unused vacation days. Likewise, 13% leave 5-9 days, and 12% sacrifice 10+ days – voluntarily staying at their desks, daydreaming about the vacation they refused to book.

As far as HR is aware, at least…

Many workers may not book time off, but they are booking getaways.

Known as quiet vacationing – a less permanent form of quiet quitting – 30% have packed a bag (not forgetting their laptop) and headed off to work from elsewhere without their employer ever knowing.

Some 27% use quiet vacations to save their allowance for more important trips, and 9% simply don’t have enough PTO to spare.

But often, sneaky working vacations aren’t caused by a desire to disconnect, but an inability to. Some 18% feel guilty the moment they set their out-of-office. Likewise, 18% dread the full inbox and backlog of work waiting for them upon their return.

So, instead, they work through their trip – never truly taking a break.

Grounded: How uncertainty is impacting travel plans

Closed airspaces, soaring gas prices, record-breaking heatwaves, and outbreaks on cruise ships… Current events are causing serious turbulence, putting many off booking a trip, with 68% having changed their vacation plans for summer 2026.

Some 17% are anxious about the political climate, and 13% fear that layoffs could turn their vacation pot into an emergency fund. However, for most, it’s finances holding them back – with 38% admitting they’ve canceled or downgraded their vacation plans because they couldn’t afford it.

With the news cycle providing few breaks, 46% expect a long delay to their travel plans, having postponed indefinitely.

Others, however, refuse to let current affairs stand between them and a sun lounger. Despite prices skyrocketing, 38% have simply booked a cheaper destination, 27% a shorter trip, and 18% have borrowed money to cover the costs.

We all crave rest and relaxation – but for most, that’s found in some financial breathing room rather than a few weeks away. While 28% say they would prefer a vacation, 72% would rather pocket an extra 20% each month.

But despite the headlines, it’s not all doom and gloom. With a little determination and short bursts of self-learning, anyone can upskill, increase their earning potential, unlock better job opportunities… and jet off as much as they desire.

Travel AIgents: How is AI shaping our travel plans?

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but planning one rarely is… Comparing flights and hotels, figuring out what to do once you’re there, and deciding what to pack. It’s hard work.

Putting planning on autopilot, 31% of people have turned to artificial intelligence in the past year to map out their vacation.

When it comes to AI vacation planning, the most common uses are for finding restaurants and activities (58%), securing cheaper flights and hotels (52%), and building itineraries (49%).

Likewise, 31% are turning to the technology for customs regulations and 29% to research local laws – a decision that, given AI’s tendency to hallucinate, can (and does) land some in trouble abroad.

AI-guided trips aren’t always smooth sailing – 48% of people have experienced issues after relying on a chatbot for travel advice.

If you’re looking for a first-class trip, perhaps avoid putting AI in charge. Some 48% say it prompted them to book something that didn’t exist, 46% gave a full itinerary that left them exhausted, and 31% steered them towards destinations that were closed.

Likewise, 31% lost money as a result, and 8% found themselves on the wrong side of the law – turning a dream vacation into a holiday nightmare.

The financial burden, the fear of missing work, the uncertainty of what tomorrow’s headlines may bring, and AI’s holiday hallucinations… It's no wonder many are putting their vacation plans on hold when a simple trip comes with so much baggage.

Methodology: To create this study, researchers from the Headway app surveyed 2,000 working adults of all genders, aged 18 and over. 

About the Headway app

With over 50 million users in 170+ countries, the Headway app is the world's most downloaded book summary app. It offers 15-minute audio and text summaries of nonfiction bestsellers, as well as daily microlearning sessions and gamified challenges.

The app is designed to help people achieve their self-development goals. Headway received the Editor's Choice award from the US App Store and constantly hits the App Store home screen as App of the Day.