Many of us may feel that planning out vacations is tiresome and costly, but the effects of not vacationing may void the undue irritation that sometimes comes when planning a vacation. Vacations offer many people a time to step away from their daily routine and experience new places or an old favorite haunt from their heydays or their honeymoon. When you get right to the heart of a vacation, the purpose is not just to have family fun, but to allow yourself valuable time to release pent up stress, relax and even reconnect with a loved one.
Vacations and Depression
On average, most people in the United States only get two weeks of vacation per year. This means that the rest of the year may be spent feeling overworked, stressed and tired. What is worse is that many people don’t even use their full two weeks. Vacationing is very important in restoring a healthy mental state because in high stress jobs people may begin to feel hopeless; they will always be stressed, they will never get caught up, their boss will always be angry with them, their partner will never do their end of the project and there will never be a paperclip around when they need one. These hopeless feelings, when left unchecked, could lead to depression. The good news is that a simple vacation may go a long ways to diminish hopeless and depressed feelings. According to a 2005 study of 1500 women in Wisconsin, those who vacationed more frequently were less likely to be tense and depressed and more likely to be satisfied with their marriages.
People, especially in this day and age, may be tempted to say that a vacation will do nothing more than empty their pocket book and sunburn their nose. Well, that kind of attitude is probably a sign that a vacation is desperately needed despite the outspoken denial and cynicism. So although vacations will cost money and their may be a risk of sunburn, there are countless plusses that outweigh the cost. Vacationing can clear your mind and help you to be more focused and creative. If your job placed high demands on you mentally and you are struggling to come up with creative solutions, this may be your brains way of telling you that it needs a break before it will cooperate. Vacationing can also give you time to reconnect with your spouse. When was the last time you and your spouse had a conversation lasting more than five minutes? Do you remember her favorite wine, do you remember the way he likes his steak cooked? Marriage is an important part of life; don’t let it fizzle out because of a lack of vacationing. Finely vacationing can be good for your health helping with everything from high blood pressure to a low immune system.
The Mini-Vacation
In all fairness, sometimes two week vacations just aren’t feasible, but that doesn’t mean that longer weekends are impossible. “If you really know that two weeks is unrealistic, then do what you know will work for your environment. Either do mini-vacations or a week, taking into account what your work responsibilities are,” says, Baltimore psychoanalyst Dr. Marilyn Martin. Mini-vacations don’t have to be big and grand to accomplish what is most need: relaxation! Go to a nicer hotel or a little cabin in some nearby wilderness. Just something to break away from the go, go, go, mentality that so many are bombarded by every day. According to the Gallup Daily Happiness- Stress Index, Americans only experience a serious upswing in mood when they get time off on the weekends or during a holiday/vacation.
Vacations or mini-vacations are very important to keeping us happy, healthy, and sane. Don’t allow yourself to be dragged down in the depressions of the non-vacationed this year. Instead take the days to release the tension and let your mind ride away on the wave into delightful daydreams.
