Certainly, we don’t need to convince you to take a vacation. Chillaxing on the beach with a fruity cocktail in your mitts is just about as good as it gets. But if you’re one of those Type A personalities who just can’t seem to break away from the shackles of work, consider these 7 scientific reasons to take a vacation. If we can’t convince you to take time off, maybe this documented evidence will.
(Barcelo Maya Palace beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico, photo by: instagram.com/shyenne_daniel.)1. Ernst & Young (one of the Big Four accounting firms) conducted an internal study of its employees and found that for each additional 10 hours of vacation time employees took, their year-end performance ratings improved eight percent. So, if logic serves us, beach vacays = a raise for you.
(St. Maarten, photo by: instagram.com/appletran93.)2. A study released by the American Psychological Association concluded that vacations work to reduce stress by removing people from the activities and environments that they associate with anxiety and stress. (Admittedly, this is kind of a “duh” realization; however, it’s just more bona fide ammo to take to the boss when you plead your case to bounce for a few days.)
3. Attention ladies: the landmark Framingham Heart Study – the largest and longest-running study of cardiovascular disease – revealed that women who took a vacation only once every six years or less were almost eight times more likely to develop coronary heart disease or have a heart attack compared to women who vacationed at least twice a year. Grab that bikini and hit the beach!
(The Pyramid at Grand Oasis, Cancun, Mexico, photo by: instagram.com/iryna_xo.)4. A study by the Boston Consulting Group found that high-level professionals who were required to take time off were significantly more productive overall than those who spent more time working. Of our 7 scientific reasons to take a vacation, this one might just be the best.
(7 Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica, photo by: instagram.com/aimzrad.)5. More from the landmark Framingham Heart Study, the largest and longest-running study of cardiovascular disease. It revealed that men who didn’t take a vacation for several years were 30 percent more likely to have heart attacks compared to men who did not take time off. Vacations are a good thing, guys. Get that suitcase out of storage and start packing!
(St. Thomas, USVI, photo by: instagram.com/chasingloubies.)6. A study from the University of Vienna found that after taking time off from work, vacationers had fewer stress-related physical complaints such as headaches, backaches, and heart irregularities, and they still felt better five weeks later. Talk about something having staying power.
(Gran Melia, Puerto Rico, photo by: instagram.com/starbright_02.)7. Researchers say that vacations can help interrupt the habits that disrupt sleep, like working late into the night or watching a back lit screen before bed. Friends, it’s time to beach and get some serious REM sleep in the form of some power booze snoozes.
So, are you busily scanning your calendar looking for days, during which you can say “buh bye” to reality? If you’re not, you should be. There are other ailments not listed above that you might be suffering from like Restless Lounge Syndrome. To find out if you’re at risk, go here now.
But if you’re ready to get outta town right now, check out our site. Even if you’re not stressed or don’t think you need to take a vacation, beach therapy in the form of a vacay is good for your health. Every. Single. Time.
