If you're on your first job with a new employer, or are eager to make a good impression, you may want to avoid taking long vacations. And even when you want to take a vacation, sometimes an uncontrollable workload or an unexpected batch of work gets in the way that doesn't give you time to go on vacation.
However, giving up your vacation time can actually be detrimental to your career in the long run. Increased stress, inability to focus, and in severe cases depression that can be severe, can all destroy your health as well as your ability to perform well at work.
Anyone can take advantage of a vacation to rejuvenate, relax and meditate. Here are some of the reasons why you should take a break from time to time:
1. It reduces stress
You’re a lovely person, but that friendliness is diminished when you’re stressed, right? That’s because stress can mute positive traits and that can have an impact on your interpersonal relationships as well as your coping mechanisms. When you step away from the stress by meditating, taking a walk, or finding some other way to relax, you allow your positive traits to shine.
2. It increases creativity
On a typical day, you’ve got so many things on your mind that there isn’t space for your creativity to flourish. By resting and recharging, you allow your creativity a chance to take up space again.
3. You’ll feel better
The stress hormone cortisol makes you feel panicked and on edge, but when you relax, you’ll give your “feel-good” hormones a chance to be released. Your mood will feel elevated and you’ll be more prepared to take on the day.
4. It might help you live longer
Studies have shown stress is one of the top causes of death, so when you take the time to recharge and reduce your stress, you’re helping yourself physically. That could mean avoiding some fatal health issues.
5. It can strengthen your immune system
Relaxation helps your body repair itself and that means your immune system benefits from it. Remember when finals rolled around in college? How did you feel? Chances are that your friends all caught colds and you felt terrible. That’s because stress weakens the immune system. Recharging regularly can help keep you well.