ERIKA THOMAS
THE SIGNAL
Vacation. We all want it and, for the most part, we all deserve it.
As Americans, in general, we are hardworking people. We all know to achieve our goals in life we must work, work and work some more, but to what end?
Does our family life really have to be put on the back burner; does our social life have to be thrown out the window? Should our own personal happiness come second place to our career?
It is a fact that in other countries going on holiday is a standard practice for maintaining health, family life and productivity. In fact, a study done by Columbia University’s Earth Institute in 2013 reports that Denmark, Norway and Switzerland were rated the happiest countries in the world; the United States came in at 17.
For some reason, as Americans, we consider vacations a luxury and often feel guilty for taking time off from work.
A study by research firm Oxford Economics reports that U.S. workers who are given paid time off had an average of 3.2 days of unused vacation time in 2013. This is a huge improvement from 2012, during which it was reported that most Americans left about nine days of vacation time on the table.
A 2012 Hotwire study found that a whopping 87 percent of Americans would take more vacation trips if they felt they had the time and the money to do so. But a vacation can mean so many different things to people, whether it is a trip across the world or across the country or, even better yet, a “stay-cation” where one does not travel but finds solace in staying at home and getting things done without traveling.
There are many benefits that come from taking time off from work, mental health being one of the most important benefits. Studies have found a positive relationship between vacations and intellectual function. A well-rested mind that is free of worry is often more effective. Having stronger mental health coincides with better work productivity because nothing makes for a great employee better than a happy employee.
Another vacation benefit is that it can help relieve stress. Studies have shown that stress is a direct link between most health issues such as headaches, cardiovascular diseases, and other types of infections acquired as a result of a weaker immune system.
Vacations can help relieve this stress, which can give us a new perspective on life, allow us to regain energy and inspire us to find simple and sometimes obvious solutions to problems that had previously seemed impossible to solve.
Personal relationships often suffer when we are constantly burning the midnight oil. We tend to not give as much attention to our loved ones when we are focusing on our career or come home late at night in a bad mood from our workday, which in turn affects our personal lives. Vacations can be the cure to help improve our personal relationships by setting aside time to really focus and nurture the relationships we have, whether it is with family, kids or our significant others.
As Americans we don’t live by the motto of “stop and smell the roses.” We live in a time where we are constantly on the go. However, for our sanity, productivity and family, we must continue to strive to be better and feel better in and out of the workplace. We are hardworking people, that we cannot deny, but there is nothing wrong with working on ourselves and taking that time to smell the roses.
Ok Erika. You nailed it.
I rarely take off and just smell the roses, but this past weekend, I went to my son’s graduation from Navy boot camp and took an extra day off to hang out in Chicago. My daughter and I went up to the 103rd floor of Willis (Sears) Tower and took pictures looking down from The Ledge — a glass leldge. We roamed the streets taking pictures, talking to and laughing with strangers, and seeking out Garretts Popcorn which we had been introduced to the day before at the Navy Pier. I came home rejuvinated (for now).
So, now I have been thinking “When is it time to do this again and where do I go?”
I’m a believer!