On your ideal vacation, are you …
· Cuddling on an empty beach with your sweetie, soaking up the energy of the sun and sea?
· Draped on a lounger in a cruise ship spa, watching the ocean sparkle as soft music gently lulls you to sleep?
· Biking through canyons or vineyards or Austrian towns?
· Hiking the hills of an Italian village?
· Skiing in the Rockies?
· Exploring the ruins of an ancient civilization?
· Sampling wines and cheeses and local delicacies at a rural farm?
· Driving a Ferrari around a professional race track (YES, I can set
that up)
Whatever it is, you need to be doing it! As soon as possible and as often as possible.
Why? Your brain and body need a break from the routine, from your daily responsibilities, from the problems you are solving, from the habits you’ve formed, from the stress
of life.
Vacations, particularly those involving travel, are stress busters and creativity
boosters.
Here’s a partial list of the many ways vacations benefit our body, mind, and spirit…
· promote sleep
· improve mood
· activate creativity
· generate new perspectives and ideas
· increase productivity
· avert burnout
· create connectedness
· strengthen relationships
· reinforce sense of self
· influence cultural engagement and understanding
Physically, they can keep us in good physical condition, build our immune
systems, lower blood pressure and other metabolic conditions, significantly
reduce risk of heart attack, and even lessen the risk of dementia and early death
from any cause. All of this has been proved in scientific studies.
Overall, vacations make us feel good, boost our happiness factor, and help us
live longer. And that leads to living vibrantly.
This year, especially, most of us are very aware of the need for self-care. Concerns about our health and well-being are now paramount in the average person’s mind. Wellness vacations are seeing an upsurge in inquiries and bookings.
However, it’s not just wellness vacations that contribute to our overall health and well-being. Any vacation can do the same, to the extent that you can unplug, let go of cares, and immerse yourself in a new, stimulating environment.
Simply planning a vacation can be as uplifting as the trip itself. One 2010 study
found that planning and anticipating a vacation is actually the happiest
part, because it gives you a reward to look forward to, even if the vacation
doesn’t turn out as planned.
So, why not plan your next getaway?