Getting Away

According to an article in Psychology Today, “work hours in the U.S. have increased by more than 12 percent in the past three decades, and the average American is allotted a paltry 9.6 days of vacation per year. Incredibly, many of us don’t even take full advantage of this slim window: Travel industry data indicate that about 15 percent of vacation days in the U.S. go unused.”

The demands of our jobs often take priority over family and play time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a conference call or exchanged emails with someone who was “on vacation.” With mobile devices, smart phones and anytime, anywhere access to the Internet, working vacations are becoming a way of life. However, we pay a stiff price for the lack of quality downtime. A nine-year study conducted by Brooks Gump, an associate professor of psychology at the SUNY, reports that “men who skipped vacation for five consecutive years were 30 percent more likely to suffer heart attacks than those who took at least one week’s annual leave. Even skipping one year’s vacation was associated with an elevated risk of heart disease.”

While they can’t fully explain this phenomenon, the research clearly shows that an escape from stress and the demands of everyday worries for only a few days can have unbelievable results. These thoughts are in my mind as I prepare to get away for an extended weekend. It’s been a stressful time at work, and it’s only going to get worse over the next 4 months.

I seriously need this vacation. So with my “heart health” in mind, I’m going to leave the stress behind, shut off the smart phone (well, most of the time), and relax.

Vacation…it does a body good!