Taking time to rest and unwind is critical for your physical and emotional wellbeing. However, approximately 36% of Americans haven’t been on a vacation in at least two years. Getting away from your responsibilities every now and then can do wonders to recharge your batteries and spark a renewed passion in all areas of your life. Here are 14 ways that taking a vacation can reignite your zest for life.
Stress and Depression Relief
The effects of stress can negatively impact you in a variety of ways. It can lead to headaches, increased irritability, anxiety, and frustration. When your schedule is constantly full and you’re under pressure to meet deadlines frequently, burnout can creep up on you. This can also cause you to gain weight, which leads you to feel more sluggish and tired. Taking a vacation will provide you with anxiety and stress relief as well as renew your zest for life.
It can also help you manage stress better when you come back to the daily grind. You’ll lower your blood pressure, build up your immune system, and even be able to sleep better. If you vacation with your kids, they’ll reduce their stress too. According to the American Psychiatric Association, stress levels for teens are currently higher than those for adults. A Travel Association survey discovered 77% of kids reported experiencing no stress after spending quality time with their family.
Travel can help fight your depression and improve your mood. Many people typically experience greater depressive episodes during the wintertime. The lack of sun and colder weather can make people feel sad and depressed. Approximately 20% of Americans express feeling sad, lethargic, and hopeless during the colder months. Getting away to a tropical vacation can give your body the Vitamin D it needs and ease depressive symptoms.
A Canadian study performed in 2009 proved decreased stress levels in around 900 attorneys after engaging in basic leisure activities. Other studies have shown that people experience less negative feelings and symptoms of depression in their daily lives after coming back from vacation. Traveling has the ability to create an inner sense of wellbeing and zest for life.
Lower Heart Disease Risk
Taking a vacation can lower your risk for heart disease. According to a study performed by Framingham Heart, women lower their risk of a heart attack by 50% by taking regular vacations. Their risk of heart disease dramatically goes up if they haven’t had a vacation in more than six years. Men reduce their risk by 30% by taking vacation time. It’s hard to have a zest for life when you’re making a visit to the closest urgent care center or emergency room.
Feel Younger and Revive Your Marital Spark
Making a getaway from everyday life can help you feel younger. When you were a kid, you may have spent time at a summer camp every year. It was a chance to feel free from the shackles of school homework and do whatever you wanted. You can feel that same zest for life again by taking an extended break from your normal routine. It will give you the opportunity to explore the world around you and ignite a passion for new interests.
If you have kids, planning a family vacation gives you the perfect opportunity to wake up your inner child. You can laugh and play at amusement parks or feed animals at a zoo. You can be as silly as you want to be and no one will think you’re weird, as they might if you were by yourself.
If you and your significant other have been together for a long time, chances are your relationship bond may have grown stagnant. If you’re feeling more like roommates rather than romantic lovers, this is a strong signal you need to take a break from family and work obligations. It can help you spark new passion into your relationship and increase your zest for life together. Explore places you’ve both never been to before and try new things to spice things up like a romantic dinner featuring Latin American cuisine. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 94% of couples who vacationed together felt very close to one another and reported that the romance was still alive in their relationship.
Cultivate New Interests
Going on vacation can encourage you to gain new skills in life, such as obtaining swimming credentials or creating paintings. The excitement of learning something new can renew your zest for life and help you feel more energized. It may even help you make more money when you return home because your newly acquired skills will open up more opportunities for career growth. You can experience new adventures and push yourself to new heights outside of your comfort zone.
By spending time away, you’ll also be able to reconnect with yourself and discover more about who you are and what makes you tick. It will give you the opportunity to evaluate every area of your life and what needs improvement. When your time of relaxation is finished, you’ll feel a zest for life to accomplish personal goals you’ve been neglecting for quite some time.
Better Work Performance
Many people don’t take the vacation time they should because they feel they can’t leave work. However, their work productivity can decrease over time if they fail to take one. According to research done by the American Psychological Association, employees who take vacation time have 31% improved productivity levels. Business revenues have shown to triple and sales can increase by 37% when employees take time off. When employees come back from break, they can think more positively and have a better zest for life which may be the reason behind these improvements.
Once you leave on vacation, resist the urge to respond to work voicemails or emails. Your brain needs the proper space to relax and breathe. Make sure that all of your work responsibilities are delegated to someone who can get them done, and then trust them to do it. You won’t be able to refresh and re-energize your work performance if you don’t truly create a space away from it for a specific period of time. Set your inbox on vacation mode and put away your phone.
Better Sleep
Not getting proper sleep can decrease your quality and zest for life immensely. It can lead to you being less focused, forgetful, and more prone to having an accident. It’s extremely hard to be passionate about life when you’re feeling like trash. According to researchers, vacations have the ability to interrupt habits and patterns that disrupt your life on a daily basis. These bad habits are things like scrolling through your phone before bed and working late.
While you are on vacation, there are things you can do to make sure you’re getting enough rest. Cut out caffeine and stay away from electronics for at least a couple of hours before going to bed. Skip those late nightcaps of alcoholic drinks. Keep yourself as physically active exploring your new surroundings as much as possible throughout the day. Avoid bingeing on sugary treats.
Boost Overall Happiness
Simply planning a trip can boost your overall happiness, according to research. The positive effects of booking that airport shuttle and hotel stay can be felt up to eight weeks before you even leave for vacation. If you’re not able to afford a trip away, you can still feel the same effects by planning a staycation or hosting an event in your backyard such as barbecue with family and friends. Looking forward to a fun activity can vastly improve your zest for life more than the actual activity itself.
Other things you can do to boost your anticipatory travel happiness is to read travel books or watch the travel channels on your TV. You can even create an art wall with pictures of the places you would like to see. Browse for deals online and do some research on the areas that interest you most. You might even start feeling more zest for your life before you even leave.
Recharge and Encourage Creativity
Exploring interesting places outside of your workplace can help you generate new ideas and sharpen your problem-solving skills. It will give your brain a chance to relax and develop a fresh perspective. You’ll be able to come up with innovative solutions that you normally wouldn’t think of because your mind is too busy focused on meeting deadlines. The repetitiveness of your everyday work routine can create a rut and unmotivated to learn something new.
In an Academy of Management Journal study, researchers from the Columbia Business School looked at the potential connection between creativity and professional travel experiences of fashion designers. They discovered that the designers who lived and worked in other countries produced more creative designs than their counterparts. The researchers concluded that travel helps you develop the key component of creativity known as cognitive flexibility. This gives you the capability to think in new ways.
What do you do when your phone is at 10% battery power? Chances are, you’re racing to find your charger and an outlet so it can recharge. But when your body’s energy levels are low, you’ll probably just try to keep working which can lead to chronic illnesses and a loss zest for life.
You need to recharge your operating system so it can function at optimal levels. Vacations allow us to reset our operating systems in the same way that we would reset our computers. You need to reboot on a regular basis to clear out your cache of stress buildup. You’ll build up your immune system so you can accomplish more in your life and not let sickness pull you down.
Build A Lasting Bond With Your Kids
Taking vacations can not only boost your zest for life, but they can boost it for your kids as well. You’ll be able to create a tighter bond with your children by taking a family vacation. Many families in today’s world are so busy that they barely have time to have a decent conversation with one another. Getting away gives you the ability to reconnect without all the distractions.
Your kids will have cherished memories with you that will last a lifetime. Many of your own favorite memories revolved around vacations with your family. You’ll be able to pass that on to your kids. This will provide them with numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits that will carry with them throughout their lifetime.
If you need to improve your zest for life, start planning your perfect vacation getaway today. It will help you improve your physical and mental health as well as your ability to make more money. You are only on this Earth for a short period of time, so why not make the most of it? There’s no better time than now to reignite your sense of adventure and passion for life.