How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being (2024)

How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being (2)

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Summary.

Making sure your employees regularly take time off is key to creating a more sustainable workplace. Research shows that taking time off benefits employees in three ways: 1) Mentally. Taking a vacation provides greater opportunity for rest and better sleep (both quantity and quality), which can help unclutter your mind to boost creativity. 2) Body. Relaxing on vacation can reduce the levels of your stress hormones and allow your immune system to recover, making you less prone to get sick. 3) Soul. While it sounds hokey, answers to life’s big questions — like “What do I really want?” or “What’s most important to me?” — are more likely to come to us when there is some space and stillness.

We all know that taking vacation is good for you, but it’s less clear that both employers and employees understand exactly just how good it is for you, given that every year more than half of Americans give up paid time off. According to the U.S. Travel Association, in 2018, this amounted to 768 million days of unused vacation time, with more than 30% of it forfeited completely. Add to this, the fact that over 50% of managers feel burned out, taking vacation (and actually unplugging) has never been more important.

Read more on Time off or related topics Work-life balance and Managing yourself

  • Rebecca Zucker is an executive coach and a founding partner at Next Step Partners, a leadership development firm. Her clients have included Amazon, Clorox, Morrison Foerster, Norwest Venture Partners, The James Irvine Foundation, and high-growth technology companies like DocuSign and Dropbox. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

Read more on Time off or related topics Work-life balance and Managing yourself

How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being (2024)

FAQs

How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being? ›

A large body of research shows the benefits of vacations. They are linked to better health outcomes, like lower rates of heart disease; reduced stress, depression, and anxiety; improved productivity; and overall higher life satisfaction, according to the American Psychological Association.

Is taking a vacation good for your health? ›

A large body of research shows the benefits of vacations. They are linked to better health outcomes, like lower rates of heart disease; reduced stress, depression, and anxiety; improved productivity; and overall higher life satisfaction, according to the American Psychological Association.

Why taking a vacation makes you better at work? ›

Improved rest and sleep during vacation also helps you return to work able to think more clearly as well as be more focused and productive, which has shown benefits to both the individual and the employer.

How can I take advantage of my vacation time? ›

Well here are 10 ways we make make the most out of our vacation time, even while working full time jobs!
  1. Pick the best times to fly.
  2. Plan vacation time in advance.
  3. Take advantage of long weekends.
  4. Make use of your floating holiday.
  5. Take epic local trips.
  6. Ask for a flexible schedule.
  7. Travel on holidays.

Why is travel good for mental health? ›

Frequent travels offer an opportunity to meet and form bonds with people from different backgrounds. These relationships can effectively reduce loneliness and augment empathy, instilling a sense of belonging in oneself. In addition, strong social connections lead to better mental health and increased happiness.

Why does vacation feel so good? ›

Improved mental health: The University of Pittsburgh's Mind-Body Center found vacations increase pleasant emotions while reducing depression. Vacations also provide a greater opportunity to experience moments of awe, which have also been researched and found to generate a boost in mood.

How does Travelling benefit your health? ›

Traveling for Your Well-Being

Having new experiences is beneficial for improving brain function and boosting your mental health. Travel has been linked to stress reduction and can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Is vacation the best way to relax? ›

Vacations are a great time to get some much-needed fresh air and vitamin D, plus there can be some serious health benefits to getting outdoors on your holidays. “Spending time in nature helps travelers relax by reducing their mental fatigue, boosting happiness, and restoring their concentration,” Dr.

What is the power of vacation in employee wellness? ›

How important is vacation? It can be summed up in one sentence: rested employees are more productive employees. Taking vacation can reduce stress, help prevent burnout and promote work-life balance by allowing for more time to be spent with family, significant others and close friends.

What is a good vacation quote? ›

There's nothing like a vacation to calm your body and mind, whether you go to the islands or somewhere else far away you've never visited.

Why is time off important? ›

Having some alone time can help you refocus your goals and gain perspective. You may find that a day off gets your gears turning and sends you in a completely opposite career direction. Or, at the very least, it may inspire you to make changes at your current job so it better fits your desires.

Why you need to use your vacation benefits? ›

Getting away not only helps with your work-life balance, but it can make you more productive and innovative as well as help prevent burnout. Even taking limited vacation time can give you room to breathe and think.

What are the effects of not taking vacation? ›

The Impact of Going Too Long Without a Vacation. Even though your career focus seems bright, going too long without a vacation can have serious consequences. Stressful situations take a toll on your mental and physical health, leading to poor performance at work, exhaustion, illness, and depression.

How does traveling make you happier? ›

By rewiring your brain, you become more creative and accepting of new ideas. This is why travel makes you happy. It also takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste, and try new things.

What are the benefits of travel? ›

Top 10 Benefits of Travelling Often
  • A Relaxing Break.
  • Increases Organisation Skills.
  • Improves Communication Skills.
  • Learn About New Culture.
  • Understand Yourself More.
  • Possible New Opportunities.
  • Travelling Humbles You.
  • Motivates You.
Sep 28, 2023

Why is travel important in life? ›

The importance of travel in our lives cannot be overstated. It helps us build life experiences, teaches us gratitude, makes us more interesting, and enhances personal growth. Traveling can open up a whole new world of possibilities and help us become better versions of ourselves.

How often should you take a vacation? ›

The truth is that a one-size-fits-all answer doesn't exist here. Your goals and available vacation time will affect how often you can and should take a vacation. However, most studies agree that at least two vacations a year can do wonders for your mental and physical health.

What is a healthy amount of vacation time? ›

If they're talking specifically about vacation days, then 10-20 days of paid vacation is very good. You'll be getting anywhere between two and four weeks off work per year, all of which is paid – and it doesn't include sickness or holidays! In conclusion, it is normal to receive around 10 vacation days per year.

How many vacations per year is normal? ›

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of paid vacation days is 11 days. This average is based on a US employee working in the private sector, with 1 year of service. Taking weekends into account, this works out to just over 2 full weeks of vacation leave per year.

Is taking a day trip good for your health? ›

According to the study, venturing outside your local area leads to lower risk of health issues related to loneliness, including heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and dementia. This was especially true for older participants, who rely more on trains and buses to travel around.

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