The Psychological Benefits Of Going On A Vacation
Many people don’t take time off and go on vacation often enough. Some don’t use their annual vacations to the full extent and some never take them! They always have some sort of excuse. It may be because of work responsibilities, finances, or family obligations. Believe it of not, we need the psychological benefits of going on a vacation, otherwise we will burn out. Our minds and bodies need and deserve to rest in order to deal with the daily routine.
Imagine sitting in front of your desk at the office. You may drift off thinking about sitting on the porch of a cottage/cabin overlooking the beautiful natural view with a cup of hot chocolate. You would immediately feel how your shoulders drop down and tension releases from your body. But then you are pulled back into the harsh reality and realize you still have tons of work left.
Our bodies can’t handle being put under pressure all the time. We need a balance between work and leisure. Vacations can help you feel happier and renewed, as well as also improve your overall health and ability to manage stress.
The effects on our mental and emotional state
It might be difficult to imagine going on vacation given what has happened in the past few years. However, it’s clear from the research that vacations can increase productivity, reduce stress, and boost mental wellness in general.
Travelling and taking the time off for a change in your surroundings, going on different kinds of experiences, spending time outside, and disconnect with your daily life to make new memories will make you feel much better.
1. Improve Creativity and Productivity
You may have heard about how a vacation in nature can help us to self-discover and get us get back to feeling our best. It can’t be any truer. By distancing ourselves from the busy and noisy environment, you are able to clear your mind and focus on living in the moment.
Nature can help your mind to relax, so you could see more things and think differently. Details you usually ignore becomes the seed for your next great idea. It can help you with your job performance, by enabling you to think outside the box.
In our rushed pursuit to be productive, we often destroy our ability to consistently perform at our best. According to an internal study by Ernst & Young, its employees’ year-end performance ratings improved 8 percent for each additional 10 hours of vacation time they took. As well as, the more vacations they took, the less likely for them to leave the company.
When you are relaxed, you feel happier and therefore, you become more productive, so you can perform at your peak.
Vacation in Sweden? Start here
2. Improve Your Ability To Handle Stress
Taking time off, especially in the countryside, will definitely recharge your batteries and can keep you alert. By reconnecting with yourself, you would not only feel mental improvements, but also your physical pain eases. All of it will lead to you better handling tough and difficult situations.
You will also notice you are in a better mood after a vacation. These improvements will stay with you long afterwards, it has been proven by many studies. Those who had more personal time and enjoyed themselves during their vacations, will feel the stress relief effects more and can therefore take on more burden.
Taking regular time off to relax on vacation will also decrease the chances of you experiencing burnout! That’s is why you will hear people around you all go on vacation regularly. It makes them more creative and productive than others, who are overworked and constantly under pressure.
3. Helps Your Relationship
Time flies by. Before you know it, you are hitting a midlife crisis. So, spending time enjoying the vacation with your loved ones is becoming ever more important. It can keep your relationship strong, enabling you to find what is lost and helping you deal with the hard times.
In fact, women who took vacations often were more satisfied with their marriages, according to a study done by the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services. By spending time together in a relaxed environment, such as farm stays, and have plenty of free time, you will refocus on your partner, your family, and yourself.
You may know this already, but many problems in a relationship is caused by tension. So, imagine starring into each other’s eyes under the moonlight and living in the moment. In a such stress-free situation, you will have less arguments and can stop to really listen and understand each other.
4. Better Sleep At Night
We have all been there. Either we are kept awake because of our duties, or worry so much that we can’t sleep. It can be dealing with the kids and family, or work responsibilities. Therefore, undisrupted sleep is now a luxury.
We simply have too much on our minds and it affects our sleep! If you feel pressured from work or family, then you find your sleep is disrupted because of anxiety or tension. Take some time off, be in nature and let your troubles melt away. This way, you will retrain your sleep habits and improve your sleep quality.
A lack of sleep leads to more headaches, less focus, less productive, less creative and negatively affect our health. However, vacations interrupt the bad cycle, such as working late or getting your kids to go to bed.
There is nothing purer and reassuring than falling asleep in complete silence, and then waking up to the sounds of birds and nature. Nothing puts you in a better mood than waking up with a view of the clear blue sky and be surrounded by green forests.
Find you next vacation in Sweden and enjoy its natural beauty
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that taking regular time off from daily struggles can give us the break we need. So that we can return refreshed and better equipped to deal with whatever comes our way. With a farm stay vacation, not only will you get stress relief, but also gain a lot of health benefits.
Some compensate by bringing work along with them. Essentially keeping themselves in the work mindset. Unfortunately, this means they are not taking a break, rather they are putting themselves into overdrive.
Not matter what, we need to stop making excuses and take the time off that we deserve! Life is too short for us to be constantly worried and working. We deserve better, so let us reset with a well deserved vacation.