In the aftermath of the recent economic downturn within the United States and even other parts of the world, the thought of a vacation hasn’t even entered the minds of most employees. In fact, you may be more likely to hear people ask what a vacation is rather than where they plan to go.
With the unemployment creeping back up and little movement from businesses or companies hiring, both those that are employed and unemployed are hesitant at spending the cost of taking the family or even themselves away from work. Unfortunately, this mindset is actually the opposite of what we would think about; taking a break is actually a good thing.
But with so many of us worried about the impact of even taking an extended lunch, how do we justify taking breaks?
WHY BREAKS ARE GOOD
The first thing to remember why taking a break is important. In terms of the working environment, taking time off helps to relax you and get you back in the spirit of being around your workers and giving you some enjoyment of your work. The job
market is stressful enough, especially if you have taken on more work or you’re spending more time working than actually working.
There’s also the fact that stress can be detrimental to your health; when you’re stressed, you tend to overlook certain things, like eating at the appropriate times or even skipping meals altogether. Stress can also alter the way your body handles it; it’s not uncommon for rises in high blood pressure or even stresses on the heart, which can lead to heart issues like strokes or heart attacks.
WHERE TO EVEN GO?
Even if you are able to get some time off, where would you go? If you’re lucky enough to live in a city or state that have a national amusement park, the tickets may be more than what you want to pay for and what if you don’t live near a vacation spot? The airline cost can be hefty as well, not to mention busy with summer vacationers as well.
So if you need to take a break, what can you actually do? One of the trends that can came about during the Great Recession was that of the daycation, a form of vacation where you just take a break for the day. These can easily be just going out to the beach or park or even going to the spa for some pampering.
This little mini vacation can be enough of a break sometimes, especially if you time it around a holiday or that of the weekend, which can extend the vacation itself. And nothing is off limits, except for work. Even a trip to the local coffee shop to read the latest book can be a daycation, where you just let yourself relax and enjoy. The short reprieve can sometimes be enough to get recharged and started on the upcoming work day or week.
This article was contributed by Jennifer Bell from Health Training Guide. Check out her site to learn more about dietitian training and other exciting health careers.
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