Whether it’s a 3-day weekend, a week-long or a multi-week vacation, the time away from the daily grind can be beneficial to your health. You’ll be amazed in the benefits of a little away time to recharge and retool. Even when you’re doing what you love, you can’t do it 24/7. Everyone needs a break. Time awaycreates a healthier, more productive, recharged individual.
According to Karen Matthews of Mind Body Center at the University of Pittsburgh, taking time away from work and routine allows the body to replenish and repair itself, as quoted on npr.com. The center surveyed 1,399 participants recruited for studies on cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and other conditions, and found that leisure activities, including taking vacations, contributed to higher positive emotional levels and less depression among the participants. Other benefits include lower blood pressure and smaller waistlines, reports npr.com. Women especially seem to benefit from taking vacations, according to a 2005 study conducted by Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal and reported on medicalnewstoday.com. Women who vacationed less often than once every two years were more likely to suffer from depression and increased stress than women who took vacations at least twice a year.
A vacation is a great time to relax, stop and reflect (clear your mind), gaze at scenery, read a good book and recharge. A vacation gives you the freedom to have fun doing what you want. You don’t have to wake up at a certain time or follow a strict schedule.
To maximize the value of your vacation, your time away should have a mental and physical effect to create an afterglow, it should inspire you to form healthful new habits or it should enable you to bolster ties with family or friends. According to Expedia.com, 53 percent of people say they came back from a vacation feeling more reconnected with their family and friends.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to travel far for your vacation. Many people take a vacation in their own town. Check out some of the tourist attractions in your own city that you might have forgotten about. If you pick the right vacation for you, you will be able to fully enjoy and look forward to a great time ahead.
Vacation days are a precious commodity on many levels. They allow you to spend quality time with your family, give you a mental and physical break from the daily grind, and help you get back in touch with some of the basic tenets of a life well lived.
References:
http://newsalescoach.com/2011/07/value-of-vacation-rest-read-recharge-retool/ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/true-value-staycation-214658652.html http://traveltips.usatoday.com/benefits-taking-vacation-1755.npr.com: Brenda Wilson, Relax! Vacations Are Good For Your Health http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/33386.php
Writer: Cindy Shuster, CFLE, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Perry County or http://perry.osu.edu
