A new survey commissioned by ResortPass—a provider of day escapes—found that many Americans report difficulty disconnecting from work and prioritizing rest.
Reinforcing the point, 40 percent of survey respondents said they feel guilty relaxing even as 78 percent say they need a break. The findings are part of the ResortPass Reset Report, based on a March 2026 survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by Talker Research.
According to the report, three-quarters of respondents said they feel mentally or physically drained at least once a week, including 27 percent who said they experience burnout daily. In addition, one in five respondents said they could not remember the last time they felt fully rested, while 72 percent agreed that relaxation is something people have to earn.
“As a culture, we need to start giving ourselves permission to slow down and take breaks without feeling like we’ve done something wrong,” ResortPass CEO Michael Wolf said in a statement. “Taking time to pause and recharge is essential, and it’s one of the most powerful ways we can show up better in our work, our relationships and our lives.”
Travel itself was also identified as a source of stress. Seven in 10 respondents said they need a vacation to recover from their vacation, while 70 percent of households reported that one person handles the majority of trip planning responsibilities.
Among parents surveyed, 40 percent said downtime on family vacations is rare or nonexistent, and 43 percent said they return from family trips feeling more tired than before departure.
The report suggests shorter leisure experiences may be gaining traction as travelers seek alternatives to traditional vacations. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they would prefer taking a shorter vacation-style escape in the near term rather than waiting for a longer trip later in the year. Additional findings showed that 72 percent of respondents postponed or canceled a vacation in the past year, most commonly because of cost concerns.