Escape The Daily Drag And Boost Your Health: Why You Really Do Need That Vacation

Statistics that suggest that nearly three quarters of American workers are stressed may not surprise you one little bit, but did you also know that — though 97 percent of them acknowledge that taking time off work is important — 41 percent of workers actively plan not to use all their vacation days?

The reasons for which workers don't take the time off that they've earned are obvious. People don't want to disappoint their employers, they want to show dedication to their jobs, and they both believe that their employers will see them as replaceable if they do take their allotted time off, and that it's actually true that nobody else can do their job properly. 

Studies clearly show that your boss benefits when you take a vacation as well: workers who go on vacation are more motivated and more productive, as well as having a greater sense of loyalty towards their workplace. What's so important about taking vacations for you and your family, though?

What The Daily Drag Really Does To You

You don't have to be in a high-stress job — in the legal or medical field, for instance — to suffer the effects of something probably best termed simply "the daily drag". Being underemployed, underpaid, or just in a very boring job that you really don't enjoy brings stress too, as do worries about performance, not being able to spend enough time with your family, and finances.

Chronic stress greatly impacts your motivation, productivity and happiness. It also, studies reveal, disrupts the quality of your sleep, the functioning of your digestive system, and your memory. Indeed, constantly living with low-level stress seriously threatens your immune system, making you more prone to infections. (Which means taking sick leave rather than holiday leave, of course!) Because stress also makes people grumpy and less sociable, relationships with friends, children and partners can suffer a great deal as well. 

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Though research shows that engaging in leisure activities such as golf does indeed alleviate stress, those hours and weekends off do not have the same power to refresh the mind as actually going on vacation does. Even during your weekends off, you're still stuck in the same rut, perhaps feeling pressure to take care of chores or just wasting your time away, thinking of all the things that worry you. That's where vacations come in. Vacations, science is very clear, aren't an unnecessary luxury. They can be life-changing. 

Exactly How Does Taking Vacations Benefit Your Health?

Researchers from The Holiday Health Experiment set out to find out exactly how vacations benefit people's health by comparing the overall wellbeing of those who enjoyed exotic two-week trips to sunny destinations abroad to that of people who simply stayed home and continued working. 

Leave behind that daily drag and fly over to a place like Peru or Thailand and, the study found, you'll enjoy lowered blood pressure, healthier sleep, lowered blood glucose levels, and of course reduced stress levels:

• While the sleep quality of vacation-goers improved by 17 percent, that of those who stayed at home continued to decline, by as much as 14 percent!
• Blood pressure went down by six percent in participants who went on vacation, while rising by two percent in those who continued going to work. 
• Stress resilience, that's the ability to recover from stress, improved by 29 percent in those who went on holiday, while dropping 71 percent in their peers who didn't. 

Another study, conducted by the Family Holiday Association, revealed that a ginormous 49 percent of Britons reported that their happiest memory was obtained on vacation. What's more, the benefits of jetting off to a completely different place for no other purpose but to relax, have fun, and reconnect with partners and children don't simply go away once you return home. Indeed, vacations turned out to be the gift that just keeps on giving.

What If You Can't Go On Vacation Abroad?

What if you can't take that exotic trip to Thailand or the Maldives? Don't simply fall victim to that "Shrinking-Vacation Syndrome" and neglect to use up your holiday time instead. Though getting away from your home environment offers the greatest benefits, you can still get a lot out of a staycation as well. The trick is to replicate the holiday experience as much as possible.

You could actually decide to hire a cleaning professional for the week, giving you the same feeling of not having any responsibilities as you would on vacation, and eat at restaurants the whole time. Seek out activities in your locality that you have never tried before. Physical activity helps a lot with destressing — why not take a climbing course, or go rafting, or do a bungee jump, or sign up for an intensive new sport? You can also consider going to the theater or cinema, learning something new such as pottery or painting, or redecorate your home. 

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Vacations, it has been proven time and time again, do a great deal for your overall mental and physical health. You deserve one. This year. Still worrying about work? Don't. Taking time off doesn't just help you, it helps your employer too. When you come back from that vacation, completely refreshed and ready to tackle anything, you're more productive and more creative. What employer wouldn't want that?