Why vacations are good for you
American workers are terrible at downtime.
Over a quarter of us have never taken two weeks of vacation at one time. Since March 2020 a majority of workers have shortened, postponed, or canceled their vacations.
The Center for Economic and Policy Research has called the United States the “No Vacation Nation.”
This is literally killing us.
World Health Organization research finds that working 55+ hours a week means a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease.
Taking regular vacation time can significantly lessen those risks.
Here are some additional important reasons why you need to take that vacation.
Improved mental health
- Constant stress alters your brain structure and cause anxiety and depression. A vacation can clean a lot of that out and bring on feelings of calm.
Improved sleep
- Restless nights are often due to having too much on our minds, and poor habits like late-night working and checking emails before bed. Research shows that after just a few days of vacation people enjoy at least an hour more of high quality sleep, a benefit that continues for a while after they return home.
Improved well-being
- Studies have found that people who always make time for vacation travel have a higher level of well-being. Just a few days of vacation will reduce physical complaints and improve general mood. These gains can last for over a month after the vacation.
Improved motivation
- People who go away on vacation return more focused and productive. Unrelieved stress eventually makes tasks more difficult and causes memory problems. Taking time off can fix those problems, increasing the quality of your thinking and your effectiveness.
Improved relationships
- Spending time with family and friends away from the demands and problems of daily work life can bring people closer and help repair conflicts. Studies have shown that people who take regular vacations are more satisfied with their marriages.
Improved brainpower
- Studies show that our best insights and ideas come when we are in a relaxed state. There is also a clear link between travel and creativity. New experiences increase our mental flexibility and our ability to make connections between things. In other words, vacations just plain make us smarter.