You Need a Vacation!
Check out these incredible stats!
- Approx. 1/ 4 of US American workers have never taken more than 2 weeks vacation at one time.
- Approx. 212 million vacation days get forfeited annually.
- There is a 35% higher risk of stroke and 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease in workers who worked 55 hours or more a week, compared to those working a 35-40 hour workweek.
Crazy, right? Maybe that’s why America has been referred to as the No-Vacation Nation?
As you well know, I am a huge proponent of taking time for yourself, especially vacation time. This doesn’t refer to bringing your laptop and working at the pool everyday, or answering emails/phone calls while your family is out snorkeling in a crystal blue bay filled with colorful fish.
What is a real vacation?
- You don’t bring your work, your computer or answer your emails.
- You allow yourself time to relax, get a massage, read a book or do whatever the heck you want to do.
- You don’t have to worry where you’ll be going for dinner or how to get there.
- Your excursions are planned but not mandatory. If you’re tired and want to sleep in, or simply lounge by the pool with a cocktail - that’s great! Enjoy!
What are the benefits of a REAL vacation?
- Increases mindfulness - the ability to be present with yourself and your surroundings. Be it dipping your toes into a lagoon, or … you are there and nowhere else. Just right there and you can wake up all of your senses. - smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch.
- Decreases risk for heart disease - Yes, with less stress comes less cortisol circulating in your bloodstream, decreasing the risk for plaque formation leading to heart attack and stroke.
- Improves your blood sugar and decreases risk of insulin resistance - again, this is due to the lessened amount of stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these hormones have been linked to metabolic syndrome. One study showed that risk for this decreased by 25% with every additional week of vacation taken.
- Improves your sleep quality - feeling more refreshed and alive. Studies have shown that after 2-3 days of vacation, people averaged an hour more of good quality sleep ( less awakenings) and improved their reaction times.
- Boosts Your Brainpower. When you get better sleep, your brain functions better, allowing for the natural detox process in the brain and allowing for clearing of toxins leading to better knowledge consolidation and memory.
Do I need to say more? Are you now ready to book your next vacation?
You know I love vacationing - especially in Italy! I’m inviting you to join me on an amazing vacation in Sardinia, Italy, exploring the Blue Zones. You will learn about the delicious and healthy Mediterranean diet, the low-stress lifestyle and connection to friends and family which have marked this island as one where inhabitants live for over 100 years!
- In health and happiness
