Whether you’re sunbathing on the beach, hiking on mountains and rocks, or skydiving, everyone needs to de-stress somehow. From experience, vacation is an excellent way of calming the mind and body, allowing you to unwind from day-to-day stress. Vacations are not necessarily luxury; they are very essential for a well-balanced and healthy life.
The correlation between stress, physical, and mental health is well known. It is well known that stress contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and decreased immune defenses. Mentally, stress does not only cause a person to be more irritable, and depressed, but it can also affect the memory which can lead to memory loss and the person making poor decisions. Stress can also lead to anxiety disorders.
Most times people think that only people with mental illness have to pay attention to their mental health. But the actual truth is that your emotions, attitude, and thoughts affect your vibes, productivity, and your general health. Good mental health will toughen your ability to cope with everyday hassles, crises, and challenges. Good mental health is a necessity for creating the life you want.
To avoid the harmful impact of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to unwind and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires ‘’time off work’’ by having periods of time when you’re not engaging in anything work-related. It is essential that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that fits your needs and preferences.
When possible, take time off to chill and de-stress, so you come to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to be at your best. A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine even suggests that taking time away from work can have both physical and psychological benefits, according to this study, not traveling at least once a year may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which shortens the life span. Take care of your mental health and you will live long!
Now that’s the minimum, but what’s the recommended number of times to go on vacations in a year and the amount of time to spend on a vacation?
Ideally, it is advisable to on vacations at least two times a year, in addition to a few other small trips. The total amount to spend on vacation is 30-45 days per year. I know getting one month free from work in Nigeria may seem hard for some, but it is a very effective way to stay healthy, live a longer and happier life.
How can you space out these 30-45 days? Take at least a vacation of 7-14 days and fill in some three to four days trips across the year.
ARE VACATIONS WORTH IT?
YES! As previously mentioned, a vacation helps to lower stress-level, promotes productivity, and improves health and wellbeing. Taking a break from the day-to-day hassles every now and then is essential, and a nice day at the beach or a time out with friends won’t cut it.
The truth is that people don’t realize how deeply stress affects us. Even outside of the workplace we sometimes still feel the pressure of our workload and boss expectations weighing us down.
That’s one of the greatest beauties of vacation. It is very hard to think about current projects when you’re on the beach or hiking up mountains thousands of miles from your office. The further away you are, the more radiant your new environment is, and the easier it will be to mentally distance yourself from stress and give your mind a well-deserved break.
But that shouldn’t be the only reason to take a vacation. Exploring new countries, cultures, and experiences will do the wonder in changing your perspective and deepening your understanding of yourself and the world around you. Vacation, when done right, will go far in improving your life. Maybe you are thinking of going for one soon and don’t know where to go, you can simply check out our guide here.
Also, feel free to contact us, as we take you through several experiences in Nigeria. Do follow us on our pages: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. We promise to give you the best and accurate information about Nigeria and Nigerians.
