Some do not recognize vacations shorter than two weeks, while others think that if they do not travel somewhere, it is as if they were not on vacation. Scientists claim that it is important for health to take a break from work in which we switch off from messages, emails and daily obligations.
Whether we do it in our backyard or on the other side of the globe is less important. Time is not crucial either, some studies show that even four days is enough to reduce stress. These are some of the benefits of vacation.
Cardiovascular health - People who do not take annual leave face an increased risk of heart disease and early death. Men who do not take vacations are 32 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. If a woman does not go on vacation for six years in a row, she is eight times more likely to get heart disease.
Better sleep - During vacation, we sleep better because we adapt to our natural rhythm of waking up and going to rest. The effects last for weeks after the vacation, scientists claim.
Better reactions - Has it ever happened to you that after returning from vacation you look at everything with different eyes? It means you really rested. Stress is bad for the brain, it makes us tired and inattentive. When we are torn between answering emails, looking at our phone and computer and thinking about what we don't get to do because we are working, we lose our ability to pay attention to details.
Productivity growth - For every 10 hours of rest, productivity increases by eight percent, scientists calculated. If you take two weeks off, which is 80 working hours, productivity increases by more than 60 percent. Also, people who regularly take vacation are more loyal to their employer, more satisfied with their work and less inclined to leave it.
A sharper mind - On vacation, we have time to turn to ourselves, which we often forget in the chaos of daily obligations and work. The brain begins to deal with things that are important to us. One of the best things you can do is let your mind wander. Almost all of us have experienced that a brilliant idea comes to mind while lazing on the beach or somewhere else. Whether we achieved it is another story, but when we don't force the brain to think about something, it invents better and more creative solutions, reports Novosti.
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