Apr 19, 2018
Ah, vacation. It’s a beautiful thing, whether your definition of it is traveling to some exotic locale or staying put and exploring spots in your hometown. It doesn’t matter if you prefer stay-cating, going abroad, or taking a road trip complete with a tent and camping gear. Breaking from work and taking a breather can be done in a variety of ways. Regardless of your reason for taking a vacation, the research is clear; time away from work—and everything that goes with it from emails to to-do lists to drafting proposals and attending meetings—is essential to your well-being, creativity, and productivity.
[1:22] We think vacation is the best way to reset for work
[3:15] The American vacation crisis
[5:45] Why we need to take vacations - intense focus mode before
[9:30] Unused vacation days cost companies 224 Billion dollars a year
[12:00] A change of pace is known to spark creativity
[14:15] Health benefits of vacation
[14:45] Easy vacation ideas
[21:45] Toujours Worth Software - Guided Wealth Portfolios
[23:30] Inspirations worth sharing
[25:00] The meaning of life
According to the Huffington Post, 55% of Americans did not use their allotted vacation time last year, 41% of Americans checked into work while on vacation, and 84% of business executives in the United States actually canceled a vacation because of work. Grinding and burning the midnight oil may seem like the answer to workplace productivity, but more and more research is showing the exact opposite to be true. The truth is, regular vacations have a profound positive impact for everyone.
CEOs from multiple companies list creativity as the #1 most important trait for all incoming employees. Yet researcher Kyung Hee Kim, author of The Creativity Challenge, has shown that we are facing a dramatic “creativity crisis,” with creativity scores dropping significantly in younger generations. Here again, more vacations and leisure may help.
Research studies on the brain show that doing nothing, being idle, daydreaming, and relaxing create alpha waves in the brain that are key to creative insights and innovative breakthroughs. And research by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has shown that positive emotions—the kind we feel on a relaxing, playful vacation—make us more creative and able to think outside the box. Don’t neglect your vacation, you may be undermining your creative potential!
A study released last year by the American Psychological Association concluded that vacations work to reduce stress by removing people from the activities and environments that they associate with stress and anxiety. The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article titled “Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial: Risk Factor Changes and Mortality Results” in which a study found that men who take frequent annual vacations were 32 percent less likely to die from heart disease than their counterparts who forwent vacations. Similar results were found in the Framingham Heart Study which found negative effects on the heart when women do not take vacations. In a 20-year study, researchers found that women who took a vacation once every six years or less were almost eight times more likely to develop coronary heart disease or have a heart attack than women who took at least two vacations per year. To sum up all of that research, taking a vacation is good for your health!
Taking a vacation does not always have to involve a detailed 7-day itinerary in some faraway place. Dustin R. Granger, CFP® says he considers a 15-minute walk a type of vacation. He can let his mind wander for a bit, which helps him refocus back in the office. A mani-pedi, a short drive or even a long weekend getaway in your local area can be considered a vacation. Grab some friends and plan a short vacation somewhere close...the point is to find those activities where you can relax, laugh and unwind.
Work can wait.
Take a vacation!