Do you work to live…or live to work? The concluding segment on why vacations are good for your health, productivity and overall well being

Aug 10, 2009

 Reason #6: Travel bolsters mental health
A study published in the Canadian Journal of Mental Health of almost 20,000 Canadians showed that leisure travel has been found to directly contribute to higher levels of physical and mental health, especially during times of stress. Vacations are best bet for throwing off work-related stress by providing you with not only a physical and mental diversion, but a lifestyle diversion. Taking time to “get away from it all” means you can redirect your thought process from corporate decision making to deciding on fun things that you want to do in the time frame that you want to do it. This change of pace can allow you to decompress, reflect, relax and slow down…providing a sense of balance to every day stresses and responsibilities.

Reason #7: Vacations make you more effective at work
According to the U.S. Travel Association’s compilation of research studies, overwork costs employers about $150 billion a year in stress-related absences, and workers get no more done when they work 50-hour work weeks than when they work 40-hour work weeks. The association notes that European workers, who are granted much more vacation time than American workers, had higher productivity growth than the United States in most years between 1981 and 2000.