Vacations are Good for You
Posted: Monday, November 02, 2009
by Debra Fortosis
MnD Getaways
In one study, the questioner asked, "If you had extra money today, how would you want to spend it?" Well over 90 percent claimed that they would travel. There is no denying it: most people really enjoy travel. A myth that is circulating claims that people in the U.S. simply are not traveling presently because of the economy. Chris McGinnis, editor of Expedia Travel Trendwatch, says that this idea is just plain false. He claims that hordes of people are still taking to the roads and skies, albeit they may be choosing more economical packages. And travel columnist, Chris Elliott, reports that the price of many vacations are not only bargains at the moment, they're outright steals. But is the travel vacation a luxury only for the more affluent during this time of economic woe?
The Mayo Clinic found that stress leads to a fight or flight reaction, which, unchecked for too long, can cause health effects that are compounded by anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and depression. H. Allerton writes that an annual vacation can cut a person's risk of heart attack by 50 percent. Middle-aged men at high risk for coronary heart disease who take frequent annual vacations are 21 percent less likely to die of any cause and 32 percent less likely to die of their coronary heart disease. In fact, travelers rate their overall health one full point higher (on scale of 1 to 5) while on vacation.
Mental/Emotional Benefits of Travel
Researchers find that even the anticipation of travel generates an increase in positive feelings about one's life as a whole: family, economic situation, and health. Over half of employed Americans say they come back from vacation feeling reconnected with their family, life satisfaction increases, they feel more romantic, and they get three times more deep sleep even in the days following their vacation.
Three out of four executives believe that vacations are necessary for them to prevent burnout, vacations improve personal job performance, and two out of three believe that vacations improve their creativity. Small business owners claim that their best ideas come not at work but during their down time. It is no wonder that according to Allerton, overwork costs employers about $150 billion per year in stress-related absences.
Believe it or not, in America, home of the free, citizens receive the least amount of vacation among nations in the industrialized world---an average of 8.1 days after a year on the job and 10.2 days after three years. Prophets of the 20 th century predicted that modern man would exult in more and more free time, but the average American works one month more per year today than in 1976 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Stats).
Wise up, Employers!
If only more companies followed the example of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Conlin reports that they track employees who have not taken enough vacation, sending reminders to them and their supervisors that they should do so. And the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago offers guests who lock up their Blackberrys for 48 hours a complimentary stay, room upgrades, dinner at the hotel's restaurant, and a map of Chicago, suggesting that this will allow them to enjoy their friends or families without undue distraction. Bravo! Take a vacation already!
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