take a little trip

I just got back from vacation last week. My wife and I had a wonderful time in Athens, Georgia and Asheville, North Carolina and when I returned I felt relaxed and refreshed and ready to get back to work. That got me thinking about the benefits of vacations. I often encourage clients to plan a vacation, but I had not looked into the research.

It turns out that vacations are therapeutic. In several studies it has been shown that taking vacations is good for physical health, mental health, relationships, and work performance/productivity. And they can even help you break an unhealthy habit.

Physical health. In the famous Framington Heart Study it was found that men who took vacations lived longer than those who did not take vacations and that women who took vacations twice per year were eight times less likely to develop coronary artery disease than those who vacationed less than once every five years.

Mental health. Several studies have shown that taking a vacation increases happiness levels. Interestingly, the planning of the trip seems to increase happiness more than the trip itself. The length of the vacation and the location of the trip make very little difference in happiness levels. People who take vacations twice per year have been found to be less tense, depressed, and tired than those who vacation once every two years.

Relationships. In couples counseling I often recommend that a couple plan a trip together. People seem to get along better when they get out of their routines and have new experiences together. Studies have shown that marital satisfaction decreased as the frequency of vacations decreased.

Work productivity. Henry Ford found that his automobile plants could produce as many cars when workers worked a five-day week as when they worked a six-day week. Working past a certain point decreases productivity. Taking even a short vacation improves performance and attitude in the workplace.

Breaking unhealthy habits. Twenty years ago, after having smoked cigarettes for 20 years, I decided to not take any cigarettes with me on our vacation. Staying busy, having fun, and being away from my habitual smoking patterns helped me to not smoke cigarettes for that week and I have been able to (one day at a time) remain smoke-free for the last 20 years. Whether it is a substance abuse problem like nicotine addiction or biting your nails or an unhealthy eating habit – a vacation is an opportunity to create a new pattern and then to bring it home with you.

So, plan a trip. I think that Tanner Health System’s paid time off (PTO) plan is very generous. I am already planning my next two trips – a long weekend to the beach with the grandchildren in June and out west this October.
Happy trails!