Want another excuse to book a flight to somewhere sunny? Of course you do. Well, good news folks! Vacationing has been scientifically proven to be great for our health – biologically, psychologically, emotionally. Perhaps the only way it’s NOT good for our health is financially. But let’s just not worry about that one until the flight home shall we? Here’s some of the ways booking a vacation can actually benefit your health.
Reduces your stress
This one’s a pretty obvious one. Apart from the long airport queues and the last minute scramble for the best plane seat, a vacation is generally stress-free. This does wonder for your health. Having time away from the responsibilities of work life can help you relax and unwind, giving you time for yourself and allows you to do what you want to do.
You’ll get a better night sleep
Disrupted restless sleep plays a huge part in stress and anxiety, so getting away and catching up on a good night’s rest can allow you to not just recharge your batteries, but replace them. You’ll be more alert, focussed, content and energetic.
It prevents heart disease
There’s been plenty of studies that suggest there are links between vacationing and decreased signs of heart failure. The steady and relaxed lifestyle of a vacation is thought to reduce the short term stress put on your cardiovascular system.
Improvements to your productivity
The benefits of vacation can linger even when we’re back at work. Once we’re rested, our brains are essentially recharged, and we feel our best – ‘back to normal’ you could say. When we feel less tired, we excel. We are more creative, we work better, we are more inventive, and generally we have increased productivity in both our day to day being and our work-life.
Strengthens your relationships
When we’re working hard, our personal life and relationships tend to come second best to our jobs. Taking a vacation can help us reconnect with our loved ones, deepening bonds and allowing us to spend quality time with those we want to share experiences with the most.
A boost to your mental wellbeing
There have also been many studies to show those who take frequent vacations are at much lower risk to depression. There’s many suggested reasons as to why this is, including – increased serotonin levels, diminished sources of stress, and even an increase of vitamin D intake from sunny locations that allows the body to recuperate.
New perspectives
Going on vacation can be an excellent incentive for working hard and accomplishing the goals you set out to achieve. Once your there, exploring different cultures and experiencing the way others live first hand can be good for the mind and soul. We as humans are highly social beings, so it is important for our spirit to learn about other others, gain new perspectives and develop new feelings about the world we live in.
If you’re seriously looking for yet another reason as to why you need to give your boss a call and tell them you’re not coming in next week, we’ve just given you at least seven. Get your tickets booked and take that trip you’ve been planning for ages – the benefits are seemingly endless. Just not to your wallet.
