Do you have some vacation days stored up? Take them! Vacations aren’t just a time to escape reality. Studies show the importance of a healthy mind, body, and spirit can come from taking a break, like a vacation. It’s time to book that vacation. Doctor’s orders! It doesn’t have to be a lavish getaway. A vacation can be as simple as a “staycation” in your hometown or a nearby city or a long weekend at your local lake.
Here are 5 reasons why taking a vacation is good for your heath:
1. Relieve Stress: Taking time away from daily pressures can relieve stress and eliminate the unhealthy hormones that accompany chronic stress. According to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Occupational Health, time off is crucial for people to recover from the negative effects of stress that build up at work. Booking a nice, relaxing vacation helps ensure that those first signs of stress (like elevated heart rate and fatigue) don’t develop into more serious reactions.
2. Renew Your Focus: Putting your to-do list on hold for a bit is essential in renewing your focus for yourself and your job. “You unplug, unwind and leave the daily worries behind, [which] is an important practice for your mental health,” says John Liantonio, M.D., of Thomas Jefferson University.
3. Strengthen Relationships: Between accomplishing all the things on your to-do list, it’s hard to find time to focus on the most important things in life: your relationships. Lauree Berger Turman, a marriage and family therapist located in Beverly Hills, California, says, she’s seen her clients come back from vacations reconnected to their loved ones. “We need time off to give our bodies and minds time to go through the process of restoration,” she says.
4. Prevent Burnout: It’s essential to give your brain time and space to solve problems. “People tend to get burned out because they put too much pressure on their work identity and forget about the identity of self,” says neuropsychologist Kate Cummins. Look at vacation as an investment in yourself.
5. Increase Productivity: It may seem counterintuitive, but taking time off can make you better at your job. According to an Ernst & Young internal study, those who vacationed frequently were significantly less likely to leave the company. It seems that checking out of work provides you with a renewed appreciation for your job and revitalized creativity once you return.
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