Although employers are often reluctant to let their staff go on holiday, they are usually pleased with the renewed enthusiasm and energy employees show on their return.

Senior manager at PR agency Mikhailov and Partners, Pavel Pletnev, has just returned from an invigorating one-week holiday in Dubai, where he had the opportunity to relax in a villa by a glistening sea. He also found time to observe the local PR and advertising environment, and gained inspiration from the logos of the Dubai Media City, which he predicts will influence his work in the near future.

Pletnev says that he has returned from his holiday with increased confidence and the desire to "move mountains," and that he is sure that his confidence will infect his clients.

Similarly, Galina Orokina, an engineer at lift firm OTIS, recently returned to Moscow from a relaxing four-week holiday in a sanatorium on the Volga. She said it is not possible to completely forget about work when on vacation, given the amount of time people spend at work the rest of the year.

If it proves hard to completely leave behind thoughts of work while on holiday, then the break at least provides for a wonderful opportunity to reassess - from a distance - your career progression and the role your occupation plays in your life. A balance between work and play is essential for happiness and for success in the workplace. In the long term, we can't work effectively without first learning how to rest.