April 19, 2024
VACATION TIME = HEALTH BENEFITS
In this country, we have a serious work-life balance disorder. The statistics about Americans and work-life balance are sobering, but the one that really hurts my heart, as a lover of travel and a travel agent, is that 55% of American workers report that they have unused vacation days at the end of the year. Those unused days account for 768 MILLION days of vacation time that are left on the table each year. Today, let’s look at a few reasons why those vacation days can translate into better health and hopefully inspire you to never leave vacation days on the table again!
IMPROVED HEART HEALTH
Taking regular vacations has been shown to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, or the cluster of health issues that are so bad for heart health: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels. One study found that those who vacation frequently were less likely to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, and the more vacations study participants took, the more their risk went down. Vacations can’t be the only tool in your tool belt to combat heart disease, but they might be the most fun!
INCREASED MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is the ability to be in the moment and not operate as if on autopilot. Travel increases our ability to be fully present and in the moment because it breaks us out of our normal routine. By putting us in situations where we have decreased familiarity with our surroundings, travel organically wakes us up and makes us pay more attention. The really great thing is that the elevated mindfulness follows us home, and by taking more vacations throughout the year we can keep those gains and resist going back into autopilot.
REDUCED STRESS
Short-term stress is how our bodies help us process and respond to threats we encounter, but chronic stress is a nasty thing that leads to an increased risk of many health problems. Getting away from activities that are stress-causing (work, deadlines, and daily chores) can help to break that cycle of chronic stress and reduce your overall stress levels, even once you’ve returned from vacation.
BOOSTED BRAINPOWER
Have you ever noticed that you have your best ideas when you are in a relaxed state of mind? This is because a relaxed brain can combine knowledge and brain power and learn more easily than a stressed brain. By taking time off to travel you help to relax your brain, thereby boosting brainpower. Additionally, the experiences you have while traveling often result in a more creative way of thinking about the world around you, which you bring back to your everyday life. If you’ve been feeling in a rut or bogged down recently, maybe a vacation is just what the doctor ordered to clear your mind and return refreshed!
IMPROVED SLEEP
Vacation time = better sleep. This is typically thought to stem from two major components: a break from the overthinking that often keeps us awake at night and an interruption of the bad habits that disrupt sleep (checking electronics before bed or working late into the night). And just like mindfulness, better sleep typically follows vacationers home for a time. That makes regular vacations a great way to keep sleep (and mindfulness) at functional levels in your life!
Which health benefit do you think would be most beneficial for you? For me personally, I think it’s the boosted brainpower, as I have definitely felt that travel and creativity link in my own life. Bruce might wish the creativity link would permanently break, as he never knows what idea I might come up with next, but this is his cross to bear in life. I’d love to help you on your “health journey” (wink, wink), so please reach out anytime.
Travel is the best way to curate joy in your life. Let us help you make your next trip amazing!
VACATION TIME = HEALTH BENEFITS
Travel is good for your health... REALLY!