You know you need a vacation, but convincing the boss might sometimes feel like pulling teeth.

If you use common sense and commit to rejuvenating yourself, though, your employer is more likely to appreciate where you’re coming from.

Vacations are a fundamental part of any well-functioning company says Jeff Baldock, president of career coaching firm CareerSport Inc., and being set against them is usually a mistake.

“It’s foolish when companies don’t value vacations and don’t want people to take them. It’s strategic for businesses to plan vacations because it helps their employees maintain positive attitudes, high energy levels and focus,” Baldock said.

Sometimes employees themselves are the culprit, holding off on vacations in the hopes of earning a bit more money or getting a little more work done than the guy in the next cubicle. On the contrary though, studies have shown people’s productivity increases after a holiday, a fact that Baldock says is often lost on people as they burn themselves out trying to be more productive.

“People are really deceiving themselves thinking they are productive when they continue to deprive themselves of a vacation. It’s like an athlete having to recover — not having that can really hurt a worker,” Baldock said.

Stress and wellness specialist Beverly Beuermann-King says planning before a vacation is crucial. Take time to understand the business cycle and know when your workload will be lightest. Most businesses tend to slow down a bit during the summer, and others might have regular “off-seasons” where taking time off is not likely to cause any major backlog of work at all. The key is to think ahead.

“Plan far enough in advance how you want your next year to be. Start having conversations earlier with your employer and your family,” she said.

Keeping your boss or supervisor in the loop shows your commitment to your work, Baldock says, and it is also likely to gain you respect by showing you don’t leave anything to chance.

“The fact that you’re planning downtime is indicative of your ability to plan in general, and your employer will respect that,” Baldock said.

When you do finally get your time off, be sure to make the most of it.

“You’re there in a sense to get a job done — to relax and rejuvenate. If you don’t recover, then your job wasn’t done,” Baldock said.