I just came back from a one-week vacation in Cancún, Mexico. I stayed at an amazing luxury resort.
Of course, for many of us, the dream is to be able to take a luxury vacation to somewhere like the Nizuc resort and spa and wile away the days on the beach. However, not all of us have the budget to do this, nor is this sort of vacation going to appeal to everyone you are travelling with, so will need to consider alternative options. When I look for more affordable travelling opportunities, I use Google flights to find a great array of vacation destinations. Florida continues popping up in my top results. For example, if you like the sea, Miami is a great place to go. If you like amusement parks, you will find lots to do in the Orlando area, it all depends what you are looking for and your budget.
Because of COVID-19, I was afraid to jump on an airplane, so I did something that I had never done before. My friends and I rented a private plane. Yes, it sounds crazy but it was not. Once we did the math and decided to fly private jet cost was not as big an issue as we thought it might be – in fact, in some cases, flying via private jet ended up costing as much as flying with a commercial airline, especially when you share the expenses with friends – and if we take into account the convenience and safety of having a direct flight, the decision was a no-brainer.
I live in Canada, and every winter, I feel that I have to get out of the country. The temperature is so cold I feel I am going to die.
Studies show that many North Americans do not take their yearly vacation.
Why do people skip their vacation?
They feel intimidated about the amount of work to be done before and after the vacation. Many people counteract this fear by working during their vacation.
They believe that no one can do their work as well as they do. At times these beliefs are justified, at times they are not.
They don’t want to seem disloyal to their company.
They fear being replaced by someone more efficient or less expensive.
In our gig economy era, many people do not have paid vacation and they don’t budget for vacation time.
They use their paid vacation days to catch up with other life day-to-day obligations. They take one vacation day here, one vacation day there, but never disconnect completely from their work.
They don’t have control over the timing of their vacation. Many times husband and wife cannot take a vacation together because their employers do not grant them their vacation days in the same weeks.
Many companies work with a lean staff team with no replacement if a team member takes a vacation, then the team becomes handicap or inoperable.
Many people fear traveling. They have fear of airplanes, of different cultures, and of different languages.
The consequences of skipping vacation are detrimental to our health and productivity
Unfortunately, not disconnecting from work can have dire consequences.
- Job burn out. Eventually, an employee can reach the tipping point of feeling burned and this could have adverse consequences on their health. I burned out one time when I was running a dance school.
- Lost of productivity. When an employee feels tired, their productivity slows down, and the probability of making mistakes increases.
Health benefits of taking a vacation
People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals. Here is a list of some of the additional benefits of taking time away from work.
Improve physical health
Stress can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure and lowers the defenses of the immune system. Taking a vacation can decrease stress.
Improve mental health
Stress triggers the creation of the hormone cortisol, which contributes to anxiety and depression. The brain produces cortisol when it senses that we are in danger. We no longer fear the Saber-toothed tiger as our ancestors did, but we fear to lose our job or constantly being settled with more work than we can handle.
Increase concentration levels
Upon returning from vacation, workers are often more focused and productive.
Improve familial relationships
When a family travels together, they reaffirm their relationship.
Decrease burnout
Workers who take regular time to relax are less likely to experience burnout.
Increase happiness
Research shows the biggest boost in happiness comes from planning the vacation. A person can feel the effects up to eight weeks before the trip!
The bottom line is that taking time away from work can improve our health, motivation, relationships, job performance, and perspective and give us the break we need to return to our lives and jobs refreshed and better equipped to handle whatever comes.
I came back from my vacation re-energized.
And you?
Do you take vacations? Who do you take the vacation with? Where do you go? How often? Please share it in the comments.