Here’s why you need to take a vacation now!

“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” -Earl Wilson

People take vacations for various reasons. Some call it break, detox, quality time or respite and for some its wander lust, travel bug or globetrotting. 

The pandemic, in the last two years, has changed many dynamics. Apart from the uncertainties, gloom and fear, with the newly introduced remote working/work form home environment, people failed to strike a balance between domestic and professional work. It ended up stressing most of us to a great level and took a toll on our mental health. Besides, the pandemic affected vacation plans for most individuals and families across the world. Thus, restricting us to our homes and forcing us to lead mundane lives.

With people becoming more accepting of the situation, they have started realising the importance of taking holidays. They are gradually opening up to the idea of vacationing again. The calming effect of holidays also works as stress busters as you explore new places and take your mind off from the routine work. The mental stimulation of traveling relieves the tension and lets your mind relax and heal.  For those who are still not convinced why you should be readily prepared for a getaway often, read on: 

Increased mindfulness

When we are on a vacation, our decreased familiarity with the surroundings makes us more mindful and mentally alert. We are awakened by the newness and freshness of our environment. According to a study in The Journal of Positive Psychology, meditation and vacation have overlapping effects. The report found that meditation exercises and vacationing resulted in higher levels of well-being and increased mindfulness.

Improved health

Vacationing is great to scale back a bunch of health issues including high BP, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels apart from excess belly fat? Consistent with a study, those that vacationed more were less likely to suffer from lifestyle diseases. In line with a 9-year study conducted on 12,000 middle-aged men at high risk for heart disease, those who took more yearly vacations were less likely to die from any cause, including heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Reduced stress

According to American Psychological Association, a day without work helps to scale back stress by taking people away from activities and environments that they connect with anxiety. Spending a minimum of 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and well-being. 

Increased learning

Did you know that “time off” allows our brain to increase its learning capacity? A relaxed mind is capable of gathering more knowledge while enhancing brainpower. It has been observed by Neuroscience (through PET scans and MRIs) that a calm state of mind often leads to the “aaha” moments in life. That is precisely why the best thoughts and ideas click when you are in a shower, taking a long walk, or on a holiday.  

Adam Galinsky, professor and chair of the management division at Columbia Business School, through his lifetime conducted various studies to draw a strong connection between travel and creativity. In one of his studies, the noted social psychologist stated that “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrative-ness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms.”

In another study, he found that creative people of luxury fashion houses who were stationed overseas continuously churned out more creative fashion lines. This was observed by trade journalists and independent buyers. In other words, a person who travels and explores the local culture gets a more creative boost. 

Sustained productivity and high performance

In 2015, Bart Lorang, CEO of Full Contact, a software company in Denver, US, came up with a plan to ensure his company stayed relevant during tough competition. He proposed a paid vacation to all the software engineers in the company. The result was an excited workforce, rejuvenated employees and more performance/output. 

Thus it can be concluded that our attention span increases the moment we land in a new place. Therefore, we become experts when it comes to exploring novel environs and areas. We also learn to engage more and that mental stimulation is the key to the finest and ideal life and performance. 

Still, if the above reasons don’t convince you to take a vacation, 

“…travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” - Robert Louis Stevenson