Many Americans who wouldn't dream of missing their yearly health physical - routinely put their health at risk by skipping annual vacations!
This lack of downtime puts them at higher risk for a variety of ailments, including heart disease. As one cardiologist puts it, "When my patients tell me they can't afford to take a vacation, I tell them they can't afford not to."
Medical researchers and large corporations are beginning to understand the importance of employees striking the right balance between work and their home life.
Often referred to as "work / life balance," corporations are encouraging high-performing employees to take their time off so that they don't burn out. Vacations contribute to sound physical and mental health, both of which are needed for an employee to achieve peak performance.
According to a study conducted by Oxford Health Plans, about one in five working men and women report feeling so overworked that they are not able to use up all of their vacation time.
The American Management Association reports that only about a third of executives are willing to get away from work for more than one week at a time.
What's more, when American executives do take vacations, they are very liable to take their work with them, checking email and voice mail regularly and using cell phones. The unwillingness to take vacations comes from a deep-rooted cultural belief that "not working" is a bad thing.
Shame on us!
Even in challenging economic times where jobs are scarce and employers demand more from their workers, most American workers aren't stopping to smell the roses and that's not good.
Other work forces around the world, do recognize the importance of taking the vacation or holiday' time on a regular basis and appreciate the value it contributes to one's life. Europeis a prime example. Most workers there take three or more weeks of vacation per year!
Brooks Gump, PhD, Department of Psychology at New York State University, has conducted studies that show that the frequency of heart disease is greater among men who don't take vacations.
Gump's study showed that men who took vacations had a significantly less risk of dying of heart disease (or any other condition) than men who did not.
These studies suggest that American employers who make it a practice to monitor employees who take too much time off would do well to also monitor those who work too much. It could save them money in healthcare costs and productivity.
Vacations restore health by reducing stress which is a known risk factor for a variety of diseases. Aside from the removal of stress, vacations offer soul-enhancing benefits that come from spending quality time with family and friends.
Did you know almost one in five working women report taking a vacation only once in the past six years?
And furthermore, that the odds of being clinically depressed increases as the frequency of vacation decreases?
Women who took vacations only once in six years thought their home life was negatively affected by work and they reported feeling tired almost all of the time.
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Now, back to the vacation conundrum. Getting away for a vacation from the work environment does not have to mean taking an expensive cruise or a lofty trip to a pricy beach resort - the key is to find a setting that will allow you to leave all (if not most) of your worries behind.
If you can't get away for a week or two at a time, then a series of short excursions and enjoyable activities or driving nowhere in particular can be a fun adventure for the entire family.
Even a trip to a local park for a few hours can be relaxing and enjoyable. (I recently took my granddaughter to a local pet farm.She got to feed corn kernels to goats and ducksat a cost of only a couple of bucks andnow she begs to go back!)
Camping and B&B's can offer affordable options, too. Sometimes just looking at our own immediate surroundings can reveal tourist stops that we haven't visited ourselves right in our own county or state!
The critical issue here is that too many of us are running around in circles - never allowing ourselves time to reflect and think about what really matters most in our lives.
Life is not always about working.
A wise observer in the medical field once said: "I never heard anybody on their death bed say they wish they had spent more time at the office."
So what are you waiting for?
Resolve to spend some down time soon as an investment in your health and well being.
Pack the bags and relax for a few days. Your body, your soul, and just as importantly, your family, will be sure to thank you for it!
