The perfect vacation? Science has shown that relaxation is the most important piece of a vacation. If you want vacations and health, let science help.
"Very Relaxed"
Scientists in the Netherlands studied vacation happiness and how long it lasts, trying to understand the perfect vacation. In their 32 week study, published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, the scientists showed that relaxation is by far the most important part of a vacation. Only those that said their vacation was "very relaxing" were happier when the vacation had ended. Those that said the vacation was "relaxing" felt the same as their co-workers after the trip, normal. So, if you want to be happy after your vacation is over, you need to find a way to get "very relaxed". This can be accomplished by scheduling time for relaxation. Block out entire days for sitting on the beach, sipping drinks, relaxing and reading.
Anticipating The Vacation
The biggest spike in vacation happiness comes from planning the vacation. People feel very excited when they go over the details of the vacation, look at what they are going to do, and imagine themselves there. The anticipation, in the study, was shown to boost happiness for eight weeks! So spend a lot of time thinking about the vacation, talk with your loved ones about it, and plan it to your heart's desire because the planning has been shown to be one of the happiest parts of the vacation.
Women, Vacations, and Depression
According to another recent study at the Marshfield Clinic, women who take more vacations are less likely to become depressed and enjoy their marriages more. Researchers found that stress is significantly higher for women who take vacations only once every two years, as opposed to those who take vacations twice a year or more.
Remember that the vacation has to be relaxing or it won't increase happiness as much. So, if you're husband or wife wants to fill the entire vacation up with plan after plan, sit down with them during the planning phase and schedule at least one full day of absolutely nothing. The day will unfold naturally and will feel "very relaxing". Remember that the planning phase is a time where happiness is high, so asking for a day of relaxation should be easier to get! Planning the vacation can improve your health by improving your mood.
SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAD is a term for seasonal depression. Lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, not being able to wake up in the morning, feeling sick in the morning, and oversleeping are common symptoms of SAD. SAD is not the typical lowered energy felt by most during the winter. It is a debilitating depression that seriously impedes one’s ability to socialize, wake up, and remain healthy that only occurs as a direct result of the changing of the seasons. It is believed that light has a great deal to do with depression during winter. Light therapy exposes patients to intense levels of light, to help alleviate the symptoms of SAD. Lights have been shown to minimize the depression felt by those afflicted with SAD.
If you believe that you suffer from SAD, you might consider taking a "very relaxing" vacation during the winter months to a location with a lot of sunlight and simply resting. This may help you get through the dark and dreary winter months and recharge your battery until spring.
Vacations are Good for Relationships
And relationships are good for health. There is a great deal of work that needs to be done in a family. Cooking dinner, helping with homework, cleaning, and solving problems are all examples of work. Spending time with your family is important, but spending all of that time working isn't healthy. Vacations provide a completely new perspective, a breath of fresh air, and time to relax for most families and couples. Instead of spending time working, taking a vacation offers people the chance to explore, discover, and ultimately relax from the stress of everyday life. Don't forget that most children feel caught up in their routines as much as parents do so they too can benefit from taking time off and unplugging.
Time Flies
There is a phenomenon in getting older. Most seniors will tell you that they don't know where all the time went. This is because time truly does fly the older you get. Scheduling the vacation, enjoying it, and then remembering it later is worth something. Anticipating the vacation, making sure it is "very relaxing", and enjoying the benefits long after the vacation is over are all part of living a fulfilling and memorable life.
The vacation doesn't even have to be something expensive. Going to a small town, getting away from the job for a bit, and spending time with your loved ones is more beneficial than flying to another continent, not having a single moment of relaxation, and spending three times as much as you would with a simple vacation. Because relaxation is by far the most important quality of a vacation, if happiness is the goal, spending a whole lot of money simply isn't that important.
Where did my vacation time go?
Take Back Your Time, a nonprofit organization that studies issues related to overwork states that 137 countries mandate paid vacation time. The United States is the only industrialized country that doesn't. The U.S. simply doesn't value time away from work, even if health is a major concern. Vacation time is seen as a luxury, but as research is continuing to show strong correlations between heart disease and lack of vacation time we cannot simply ignore the need for a good vacation, and a healthy life, any longer.
It Can Be Affordable
Your vacation can be as simple as getting out of the house for a couple of days and taking it easy, no electronics needed. Make sure to be "very relaxed", plan the vacation way ahead of time and enjoy every second of it, know that you are helping your health by doing so, avoid the symptoms of SAD, enjoy spending time with your significant other, don't let the time slip by, find vacation time at one the Panama City Beach resorts, and take it easy!
