The Benefits

The evidence is overwhelming.  Dozens of recent studies by medical associations, scientific research organizations, and reputable business sources have concluded that regular annual breaks from work and home routines not only make us a more productive and effective parent, leader, manager, salesperson or business owner, but these breaks also add years and better health to our lives.  Here are a few of these references:

Wall Street Journal:  “…when bosses take time off they come back more creative and able to think about the long run future of the company better. If they don't take a break, it's extremely difficult for them to see outside of the immediate whirlwind."

Intuit Corp:  “Vacationers reported an 82 percent increase in post-trip productivity. Successful business owners take vacations because they know that the benefits of a week off can’t be duplicated artificially. The only way to get this burst of productivity, creativity, and morale is to put down your smartphone and stick your toes in the sand. “

University of Pittsburg:  “More than 12,000 men who were at risk of heart disease were followed over nine years to see if there were ways to improve their longevity.  Those who took their annual vacation religiously not only extended their longevity, but the health benefits they experienced were almost miraculous.”

New England Journal of Medicine:  “The 22-year study confirmed that skipping time off and working year-round is linked to increased chances of heart disease for both men and women, and stress-related health care cost employers and tax-payers approximately $344 billion a year.”

Scientific American Journal:  "Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. A wandering mind unsticks us in time so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future. Moments of respite may even be necessary to keep one’s moral compass in working order and maintain a sense of self.  Time spent in parks, gardens and other peaceful outdoor spaces is especially beneficial."

Harvard Business School:  "The study tracked employees for four years...  Every year, the bosses insisted the employees take consistent time off. Those who took regular vacations from work reported being happier with their jobs and much prouder of the work they did at their job."

Ernst & Young Accounting:  "...each additional 10 hours that an employee took for vacation, his or her performance review was 8 percent higher the next year."

U.S. National Library of Medicine:  “Think of your vacation as a very relaxing and stress-free way to get some more work done.  Even more so, multicultural vacation experiences help foster creativity and generate more innovative ideas.”

National Institute of Health:  “When people are under chronic stress, their ability to think through goal-oriented decisions disappears, leaving them able to make only reactive decisions – not the kind of thinking that helps guide small business strategy.  Vacations reduce stress because they give your brain pause, time to take in new ideas and ruminate on old ones.  The biggest benefit of vacation is that it makes you feel like a new person, reinvigorating your passion for running your business.”

Forbes:  “Rather than feeling guilty for taking time off, the employers and employees who took their vacations were able to enjoy their time away because when they were at work, they were more efficient and productive. They work smarter so they don’t have to work longer.  The final take away of the research is that in addition to being fun and relaxing, vacations have a positive effect on our work life in several ways.”