Work is an important part of your life and identity, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Everyone needs a vacation every occasionally to restore their sanity and rejuvenate them for the future.
Unfortunately, not everyone takes their vacations. According to research, about 50 percent of people don’t use all their vacation days and the majority of those who do check in with work daily while they’re away. Some say they’re worried they’ll lose their jobs if they take a vacation and others worry about falling behind.
In reality, everyone can and should take a vacation, even if you’re in a busy job like property management. It’s a matter of timing it right and prioritizing it in your schedule. Here are a few reasons that you’ll be more than glad you took a break to go on vacation.
- It decreases your risks of depression and anxiety.
Workplace-related depression and anxiety could be considered an epidemic. Most of this stems from workplace stress. Depression and anxiety can create unique negative health effects that make it difficult to perform your job well. You’ll feel burnt out, unproductive, uncreative, and too stressed to perform at your optimum level.
Travel is scientifically proven to restore your mental clarity, removing stress and literally making you happier. According to Karen Matthews of the University of Pittsburgh’s Mind-Body Center, travel offers huge health benefits.
“People who had more leisure activities “reported more life satisfaction, finding more meaning in life,” Matthews told NPR. “They tended to be more religious [and] spiritual in orientation. They reported having a lot of support from friends and having a large network of friends and family.” These are all incredible benefits that create greater health and happiness.
- It helps you be more productive and creative when you get back.
Your body will start to feel the drag of unproductivity when you’ve spent more than a couple of months working without a break. You’ll feel sluggish, and you won’t get as much done in a single sitting. A vacation can help cure you of this as well as restore creativity in your life.
“I’m at my most creative when I’m exploring, so vacation gives me a chance to think big, outrageous thoughts, and play around with my most experimental ideas,” Kathryn Minshew, founder and CEO of The Muse said. “When I come back, not only do I feel refreshed, but I’ve often made some sort of breakthrough in the rest of my work or life.”
Seeing the world is one of the best ways to get out of a creative rut. When you need to refresh your perspective, spend a few days in a relaxing environment so the ideas can flow freely. If possible, immerse yourself in a new culture so you can broaden your horizons and think outside the box.
- You’re less likely to have physical health problems related to stress.
It can also lead to physical health problems. Stress is the number one cause of absenteeism in the workplace. More than a million workers call in daily because of stress-related symptoms. This puts more risk on you falling behind or losing your job than going on a vacation ever could.
You might experience health problems including:
- Headaches
- Stomach and digestive problems
- A weakened immune system
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Chest pain
It’s hard to work with these physical problems – a vacation could help.
- You’re feeling burnt out from work.
If you’ve previously enjoyed your job, a sudden feeling of burnout could mean that you’re working too hard and need to take a break.
“To maximize gains from long-term practice, individuals must avoid exhaustion and must limit practice to an amount from which they can completely recover on a daily or weekly basis.” Professor K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State said in a report on the importance of taking breaks.
Burnout is one of the most common causes of people falling behind at work, failing in productivity, and facing job loss. A vacation can be the perfect recipe for getting over it.
It doesn’t have to be a long vacation. In fact, research shows that shorter vacations taken frequently throughout the year are better for you than one long vacation taken once a year. “Those planning a vacation were happier than those not going away, says study author Jeroen Nawjin, suggesting that the anticipation of the break was what provided all those mental health benefits.
The positive effects of a vacation wear off after about eight weeks, so it’s important to plan your vacations frequently throughout the year, even if you’re only gone for a few days. This will also help you avoid falling behind at work.
It doesn’t matter where you go or how long you go; book your vacation now for your physical and mental health!
Article Submitted By Community Writer