Vacations for Productivity, Stress Relief, and Overall Psychological Health
A good vacation will increase productivity and soothe the soul. Most people don’t take enough vacations. In fact, according to a recent poll by Psych News, more than half of 1000 respondents don’t take an annual vacation. Amazingly, many never took vacations at all!
In today’s busy environment, even when we do take vacations, we bring our work with us. This keeps us essentially connected and engaged in a work mindset, while we are actually trying to escape. This is not psychologically healthy for many reasons. Studies have shown that:
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Vacations help with burnout: Employees who take consistent time to relax are much less likely to experience symptoms of burnout. This in turn makes them more valuable and creative than their overworked, overwhelmed and under rested counterparts.
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Vacations promote creativity: An excellent vacation helps us to reconnect with ourselves. It is a path to self discovery and works to help us to feel our best.
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Vacations keep us healthy: The term “recharge your batteries” is completely valid, psychologically speaking. Taking the time to regularly recharge lowers stress levels, which in turn keeps all of your organs, including your heart and your brain, healthier and functioning properly.
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Vacations solidify and strengthen bonds: When you spend time away from the daily grind with loved ones, it keeps your relationships strong. This helps you to make it through the inevitable stress of tough times, and makes you appreciate the good times more. In fact, in a study by the Arizona Department of Health and Human services, women who took regular vacations were more satisfied with their marriages overall.
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Vacations will help you with your job performance: The psychological benefits that come with regular and frequent vacations lead to an increased quality of life, thereby leading to an increased quality of work. If you’re interested in finding out more about the psychological benefits of vacations and other activities, look into a Masters in Applied Psychology degree.
Essentially, taking time for ourselves and away from the stresses of daily life gives us the much need break we need to function. Approaching life with a refreshed attitude gives us the tools to handle whatever comes our way.
Obviously not everyone can take a vacation whenever they want, but for those of you that need to plan one, or even dream of one; here are some ideas to get you started. I’ve included any discounted or unique offers that I’ve come across as well, so start dreaming and find your best self!
Caribbean Getaways:
The Caribbean islands offer so many romantic. relaxing, or spa getaways that you just can’t go wrong. You can find anything from a full service, all inclusive resort, to a secluded hotel to relax, unwind and take some real mental health time. The Caribbean offers beaches, sun, mountains, volcanoes, exotic animals – really something for everyone. One really good place to start looking for that much needed vacation is LuxuryLink.com, a luxury vacation auction site where you can bid on all sorts of packages. One special they are running for out users right now is their Warm Weather Sale!Get out of the cold and into the sun! Auctions start at 65% OFF – Buy Now packages up to 40% OFF
. You can choose from beautiful Barbados, swanky Antigua, unspoiled beaches and diving in the Dominican Republic and so many more.
Travelocity is also offering discounted Caribbean travel for those of you with spring fever. Their offer is called City Breaks Hotels & Vacation Deals from Travelocity
More travel destinations and reviews to come…
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