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Out of the Office: The Benefits of Using Your Vacation Time
"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live." - Hans Christian Andersen
If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that we need to reassess what matters in life. We work too much. Our time is precious, and balance is everything. When our ability to get away and escape for a few days disappeared, we realized how important those little breaks are to our well-being.
Travel adds so much value to our lives. The benefits of travel have a lasting impact on our physical and mental health. Below are five reasons you should put your out-of-office auto reply on and use those vacation days.
Benefits of Travel
1
It is a stress reliever. All work and no play can be stressful. It is important to break the cycle of chronic stress by taking short breaks often. Taking a vacation offers a much-needed reset for our well-being. Research has shown that even a weekend getaway can have a big impact on our stress levels. The study found even a long weekend getaway relieved stress for up to 45 days after returning from a trip.
2
It increases your happiness. Being on vacation without the stresses of work increases your happiness, but the trip itself isn't the only part making us happier. Just having a trip to look forward to actually boosts your mood. A study from the University of Surrey discovered the anticipation of upcoming travel increases our happiness long before we even set foot on a plane to our destination.
3
It promotes creativity and productivity at work. Taking your vacation time is a win-win for you and your office. It helps you step outside of your normal routine and prevents burnout. Time away from the office gives you the energy needed to increases your productivity when you return to work. It also promotes creativity by providing mental clarity and opens your mind to new ideas.
4
It's good for your health. Travel has a positive impact on your overall well-being. It helps fight off depression and anxiety. It keeps your mind sharp by activating a part of your brain that is rarely used when we are on autopilot during our normal daily routine. It even protects your heart. One study found women who travel every 6 years or less had a significantly higher risk of a heart attack when compared to those who traveled at least twice a year.
5
It enriches your life. You've probably seen the quote: "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." It is so true. Traveling creates lasting memories that will be with you forever. It builds confidence and gives you a window to the world. It opens your mind and helps you better understand other people and cultures. It changes you and increases your satisfaction with life.
Commit to Taking Time Off
We know the many benefits of escaping our normal routine and getting away. So how often should you travel? Based on the research above, we can combine the happiness we feel from the anticipation of a trip with the stress relief that comes long after taking a trip to get the maximum benefits from travel throughout the year.
To truly get the full benefits of travel, I recommend taking a break every 45 days or so. This can be a weekend getaway or a longer vacation. Mix them all in based on your lifestyle and work situation. I have kids who are in school, so for me those breaks revolve around the academic calendar. We take longer vacations in the summer and getaway for the weekend more during the school year.
For those who have a remote working situation, another option would be to do longer stays in different locations throughout the year and combine work with a new environment. For this option, I do recommend taking at least a week off during that time to get a chance to reset and recharge before combining work and travel.
Create Lasting Memories
I love creating memory books from all my travels. That is why I created the destination collection. These travel journals are a perfect way to plan your trips and save those memories forever. I want to help you stay committed to taking time off each year. Each book will have at least two years worth of travel experiences allowing you to record 10 weekend getaways, four weeklong vacations, and one ultimate vacation up to 30 days. I didn't put a timeline on the ultimate adventure, so you can decide what fits your lifestyle. Just adding one extra week away is a perfect way to ensure you get that much-needed escape.
I'm going to commit to using all my vacation days each year. It's time we start living life for what matters. For me, that's making beautiful memories with my family and those I love. It's exploring new places and seeing the world. If that is your dream, come with me on this journey. Let's change the way we work and use those well-deserved vacation days to better ourselves and make some fun memories we can have for a lifetime.
Explore the Collection
Plan your next coastal getaway with our travel journal.
