Extend Your Life: Vacation
By DAWN MACKEEN,
Vacation
Health psychologist Gerhard Strauss-Blasche and his colleagues at the Medical University of Vienna analyzed the vacations of 191 white-collar employees and found that a warm climate, plenty of exercise, good sleep and time for themselves all helped workers feel more relaxed when returning to their desks. "A very important factor in vacation is the ability to shut off and cut out the things that are usually stressing yourself," says Strauss-Blasche.
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That means you shouldn't be working during your time off, as 42% of Americans do, according to estimates from the Families and Work Institute. Unfortunately, much of the travel industry is racing to accommodate this bad habit, with hotels becoming better wired for cellphone reception and high-speed Internet access. If you find it hard to resist the call of the office, you might be better off staying at traditional bed-and-breakfast inns, where rooms often lack phones, to say nothing of Wi-Fi routers.
When Harry Hudson wants to get away from overseeing his Duluth, Ga., insurance agency, he really gets away, traveling to remote regions. A typical day in the 62-year-old's recent Costa Rican holiday might begin with his waking up to the warm jungle air, picking up cheese and bread at a grocery store, and then hiking for five hours in the rain forest, scouting for monkeys and verdant foliage. Then a quick swim, dinner and an early bedtime and all of it far beyond the range of his cellphone. "When I go out of the country, they don't call me," Hudson says. "It's so invigorating and relaxing, you can clear your mind."
While there's probably no such thing as a too-long vacation, the Vienna study found there was no additional health benefit to taking a vacation much longer than five days. It's probably best if all five days are spent on the ground instead of in the air: The study found that vacations that crossed several time zones proved less relaxing, and anyone who has burned a "vacation" day waiting through flight delays in a cramped airport lounge can understand why. Whatever your plans, don't skimp on your trip. Another study found that we need at least three days to fully unwind and relax.
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Pages in This Report:
· Introduction
· Exercise
· Vacation
· Work Stress
· Sleep
· Diet
