Vacationing

Scott Schwab:
Apologies for the vacation from the blog. With the extended weekend we thought it would be nice to get away. However, in doing so we learned a couple of things about the importance of getting away even if it is not to another location. Feast your eyes on the list below.

Top 7 Reasons for Vacations:

1. Live longer
A State University of New York survey found that men who took annual vacations reduced their risk of death by 20 percent. Men who didn’t take any vacations in five years had the highest death rate and incidence of heart disease than any other men surveyed.

2. Improve your mental health
A study by Wisconsin Medical Journal found that women who took frequent vacations were less likely to become depressed, tense, or tired. Women who rarely took vacations were more likely to have stress at home and sleep less.

3. Revamp your relationships
A real vacation is the ideal time to reconnect and revitalize relationships that have taken a toll from an on-call, always-on, and work-obsessed culture. Whatever we put our time, energy, and focus into becomes our focus. It is great to refocus and gain perspective.

4. Recapture your childhood
When was the last time you went out to play? I mean really play. Without worry of someone calling or interrupting you. Real vacations let you recapture that feeling of childlike exploratory freedom. You can wake up when you want, go to sleep when you want, and eat what you want. Most importantly, you can have fun without worrying about the consequences on work back home.

5. Gain self confidence
“Don’t put yourself on sale.” from Suze Orman. When you skip vacations, you put yourself on sale. If you have 2-weeks of paid vacation and don’t use them, you’re essentially working for free. By committing to a vacation, you declare to yourself (and to others) that you are important and deserve dedicated time for yourself.

6. Find creative inspiration
Most of the year, we live on a schedule. We eat at the same restaurants, see the same people, and experience the same environment. This monotony reduces the opportunities for inspiration and for new ways of thinking. By traveling to a foreign environment, we put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation, and allow our brains to think differently.

7. Become more productive
What? You can more productive by not working? Yes. By scheduling two weeks of vacation a year, you force yourself to make the other 50 weeks more efficient. This means more incentive to eliminate distractions, work more efficiently, and get things done.



Here is a link to an NPR article that also backs up the reasons for a getaway.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111887591