Did you take a vacation over the holiday season, only to find yourself more stressed and overworked than you would have been if you had not left at all?

You're not alone - according to American Express Small Business Services, only 28 percent of small business owners surveyed said they completely put business out of their minds while on vacation. And, 38 percent of those who do go on vacation bring along cell phones to make sure they can be reached. Some vacation!

Alice Breden, author of two books on the virtual office, says, "There is a great deal of stress and ambivalence that small business owners feel when they go out of town on a so-called vacation."

Getting ready to go and feeling comfortable that someone else is taking care of the business are the largest areas of concern. For example, one business owner who took her first real vacation in 15 years, began preparing her staff for the departure eight months in advance, and worked extra long hours prior to leaving. Once the vacation was underway, this person was unable to relax until the fourth day of a two-week trip.

While the full story from MSNBC does not offer any solutions, it does provide food for thought: Are vacations really worth the effort?