The Lesser Known Reasons To Travel
Everyone knows why they love to go on vacation. It’s a great chance to relax and have fun. But those aren’t the only reasons you should take a vacation. In fact, there are two other reasons that are not so obvious: it’s both healthy and it can help with your career performance.
You may think vacationing is great just because it provides an escape from the stressful world of work. But believe it or not, this escape from stress does more good than you may think. For example, did you know that an annual vacation can cut a person’s risk of heart attack by 50%? Or that blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of epinephrine (a hormone linked to stress) all decline on holidays of only one or two days? Leisure travel has been found to contribute to overall well-being by helping people maintain both their physical and mental help.
Now I know what you’re thinking: yes, vacationing may be healthy, but it’s hard to drop what you’re doing and leave work for a few days or weeks. Well next time your boss gives you a hard time about vacations, all you need to do is point out that vacations help with your productivity. Stress-related absences, due to overworking and the resulting burnout, cost employers a staggering $150 billion per year. The good news is that this burnout can be easily decreased or avoided. A study at Tel Aviv University found that burnout decreases significantly during two-week vacations. Additionally, travelers experience a 24% increase in performance on vigilance tests after returning from vacations. Those who are 45 or over show an even higher increase of 50%! And if your boss still doesn’t see the light about vacations, you can always mention that three out of four executives belief that vacations are necessary to prevent job burnout or that vacations can improve personal job performance.
So whether it’s for your health or for staying sharp in your career, vacations are definitely beneficial. That’s why the right to an annual vacation of a minimum duration is prescribed by law in 78 countries. Some of those countries are such firm believers in vacations that they actually enforce penalties if vacations are deferred. So don’t break the law, book a getaway with Santa Barbara Travel Bureau today!
- Jason
