blog post

The economy is on an upswing as proven by the recent holiday shopping season. Retail shopping hit record highs compared to the last few years with a successful holiday season including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and more recently, Mega Monday.  It’s evident that people are sick and tired of not spending money due to the economic downturn of the last few years.

But after the spending spree of gifts and gadgets for friends, family, or yourself, what do you have to show for it? More bills? More stress? Buyer’s remorse?

I have a cure for all of that. In fact, I challenge everyone reading this to do something different in the 2012.  Take a vacation.

It’s been proven time and time again that taking a vacation is good for your health.  In fact, according to various sources including the U.S. Travel Association and CNN:

• An annual vacation can cut a person’s risk of a heart attack by as much as 50%
• Married people who take more vacations are more satisfied with their marriages
• Over half of employed Americans say they feel reconnected with their family after a vacation

But, being able to get away and recharge can be a foreign concept to many people living in the United States.  This is why the U.S. is nicknamed the ‘No Vacation Nation.’  It’s no surprise, then, that of the 74% of Americans who have access to paid vacation time, only 57% of them use all of their vacation time each year.  This is compared to 89% of workers in many other countries including France, United Kingdom, and Germany.

Why is this?  Most countries mandate 4-6 weeks off as the norm, but the U.S. doesn’t mandate any for
employer-paid time off.  In fact, the U.S. is the only advanced economy who doesn’t.

These statistics are too bad, because if U.S. employers wanted more productivity from their employees, they’d make sure every employee took vacation on a regular basis.  According to various sources, travelers experience a 25% increase in performance on vigilance tests after returning from vacation.  In addition, detaching from a familiar environment can help individuals gain new perspectives on everyday life and
increase productivity at work.

While studies have shown that Americans maximize their happiness by working compared to Europeans maximizing their happiness through leisure, my question is this: what’s the point of working so hard for if you don’t take time to reap the benefits?  People who don’t take vacations aren’t doing anything more than causing unnecessary stress in their lives and in the lives of those around them.

Besides, unlike the gifts and gadgets bought over the holiday season, a vacation won’t expire, break, or have a limited shelf life.  Instead, it will create memories and life-changing experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime.

So, do yourself a favor this year and take the time off that you need and deserve.