Take A Break. Seriously.
Want More of This? Get Some Brain Food Every Week.
Short breaks where you completely unplug increase health and well-being.
Most people aren’t using their holiday time
A Glassdoor study recently found that over 40% of UK workers took less than half their entitled holiday in 2018. The (lack of) holiday situation is even worse for our transatlantic friends: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2011, 90% of workers were given paid or unpaid leave at their jobs, but more than 50% of people didn’t use all that time.
What does that mean?
It means almost half of us are running around with high stress levels and not giving our nervous systems or bodies an opportunity to truly reset.
Madonna interlude
If we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate just one day out of life, it would be (it would be) so nice.
Did Madonna inspire the research I’m about to tell you about? Very possibly!
Holiday research
A study measured the impact of short vacations on employee health and well-being. Eighty workers reported their health and wellbeing levels before, during, and after a short break. This isn’t too surprising: the more relaxed and psychologically detached the workers felt, the more pleasure they got from their holiday activities and the longer they were able to carry these vibes on after returning home.
Channel these vibes
However: these short term breaks didn’t have long-lasting benefits. So you really need to embrace a YOLO vibe as you jet or train off on your brain-boosting holiday.
So go on - book that city break. Your brain needs it, your body needs it, and if you call the UK home, your vitamin d levels really need it.
FOR THE NERDY: Break time. [Source: NCBI - Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being]