Americans are not known around the world as regular vacationers. In many European countries, such as France and Germany, adults typically get about six weeks of vacation per year, while the average American employee wastes five paid vacation days per year. In 2014, the number of remaining vacation days in the United States hit a 40-year high. In fact, more than half of Americans took no vacation at all in 2015. It's not necessarily because our boss won't let us escape to the beach, or because we're afraid of spending money on vacation. Instead, our workaholic culture leads us to believe that the more we work, the further we will go in our careers.
However, common sense must prevail at some point. Imagine how wonderful you will feel when you take some time off. Your stress decreases, your skin starts to glow, and you may even find it easier to interact with your coworkers as you get back to work. But it’s not just in our heads. The holidays can do wonders for the body, science has proven it. Countless studies have been conducted around the world on adults taking vacations, and the consensus each time is pretty much the same: regular vacations are necessary to maintain good health. So don't just talk about flying to Hawaii with your friends in 2017. Let it be, because science demands that you relax.
Here are six things the holidays do to your body—and why you should do one of them.
It will increase your happiness (if the length is right)
Everyone knows that taking a vacation makes you happy, or at least happier than before. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that any kind of vacation equals stress relief with a smile. The length of your vacation can affect your happiness, according to research from a Finnish university.
The researchers followed about 54 different people on vacation, studying their satisfaction and recording the duration of their vacation. They found that as you spend more and more time at the beach, you not only continuously reduce stress. Instead, they found that happiness peaked after about eight days and then declined. In other words, a little over a week is apparently the perfect amount of time to clear your head and lift your spirits. You'll have plenty of time to pack and get acquainted with the area, and you'll have another day to recover from your trip and be ready for your first day back at work.
It reduces your risk of heart disease
The Framingham Heart Study, spanning more than two decades, found that women who took only one vacation every six years (or less) were eight times more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than those who took at least two vacations a year. A similar study found that among 12,000 men, those who took annual vacations were 32 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who never took advantage of them. Apparently, more vacation time leads to a healthier heart.
it will lower your stress levels
Again, very intuitive - but now you know it's proven. The reason you feel so relaxed and gooey after a few days of unplugging is because you have a lot less stress and anxiety. A 2009 Canadian study demonstrated that even basic leisure activities reduced stress among nearly 900 lawyers. Researchers claim that vacations generally promote inner peace and improve subjective well-being. Other studies show that negative mood and depressive symptoms decrease when people return to their daily lives after a vacation. Simply giving your brain a break can restore your emotional health and encourage a new perspective on life.
It will inspire you to create deeper emotional connections
Apparently, vacationing promotes something in your brain called "creative bonding," which can be used to create meaningful and lasting connections with people in your community. By relaxing and relaxing, you encourage your brain to share better experiences with others. Next thing you know, you're fighting less with your partner and appreciating your relationship with your mom more than ever.
That's why taking a vacation with friends or family can be hugely rewarding. Sharing all these happy memories will bring you closer together and make you appreciate each other, even if planning the entire outing can be stressful at times.
it will enhance your creativity
When you let your brain cool off for a while, you give the task-focused part of your brain a break that is usually on overdrive when you're working. Daniel J. Levitin, director of the Music, Cognition and Expertise Laboratory at McGill University, told The New York Times that this state often leads to "our most creative and insightful moments." . Relaxation may be the ticket you need to be more innovative and perform well when you're back in the office. This brings us to...
It will make your work better
Additionally, research shows that employees who return to the office after a good vacation are more focused and more likely to collaborate. An internal study by Ernst & Young showed that for every 10 additional hours employees took, their performance reviews improved by 8% the following year. Take regular vacation time and all that relaxation may help you advance in your career.
Image: Unsplash; Fotolia
