Did you know that people who take more vacations are less likely to die of heart attacks? Not that alarming unless you are one of the over-worked, under-played folks who always puts off vacation for extra hours at work or home. Researchers find that the time with family and friends; the escape from everyday worries; and the simple anticipation of a few stress-free days can do wonders for alleviating stress…even before your feet hit the sand.

The key, is seems, to vacationing isn’t the destination afterall. It’s getting your mind free of all of the possible chaos and trauma that could be occurring at work and home while you’re away. Writer Richard Lovett with Psychology Todayshows some strong research for why precious time away is less of a luxury and more of a health necessity. Read on below for more or click the link above for the article in its entirety.

“Americans are suffering from “vacation deficit disorder,” in author Joe Robinson’s all too-accurate diagnosis. 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.

However happy this may make our employers, we pay a stiff price for the lack of quality downtime. In a nine-year study, Brooks Gump, an associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York, Oswego, found 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.”

One helpful suggestion from Lovett’s article is to not take the office home with you because it creates a physiological effect that may make you jumpy while you’re trying to relax. For best results, and to most effectively reduce cardiac stress, plan a vacation where your employers can’t even reach you. Stay unplugged from phone and email until you officially clock back in. Good news to keep in mind for those taking off for the Labor Day weekend coming up. Remember to relax!


Explore other posts about: , , ,