While it may be tempting to log those overtime hours and spend your weekends playing catch-up so you can qualify for that promotion on the horizon, leaving your vacation days to gather dust can have negative implications for your health.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s trials and tribulations? Would you like an emotional boost? If so, you might want to break away from the hustle-and-bustle of a 9-to-5 routine by splurging on a luxury vacation. Not yet convinced? Take a second look and review the health benefits of going on a several-week to several-month-long vacation.
Improved physical health
Stress can lead to cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. Taking a vacation at least once or twice a year can help distract you from the stressful environment holding you captive, minimizing your risk of falling victim to heart disease.
Improved mental health
A vacation suppresses the stress-causing hormone (cortisol), leading to a decreased risk of suffering from symptoms of depression and other mental disorders. Spending time away from the work grind’s constant pressure eases physical tensions and calms your mind, reducing daily stress.
Enhanced well-being
Studies indicate that a three-day trip alone can promote better sleep, improve mood, and alleviate aches and pains. With these benefits of a long weekend in mind, imagine the physical benefits vacation-goers can derive after a month-long vacation of sunbathing, meditation, and uninterrupted hours of sleep.
Boosts mood
Your moods are likely to be elevated when anticipating a vacation. As you count the days to your tropical paradise visit, you’ll enjoy the long-lasting effects of vacation jitters that can last up to eight weeks before your scheduled departure date.
With these health benefits in mind, you might want to consider extending your vacation (of course, without jeopardizing the job waiting for you back at home.) If you’re a working professional hoping to turn your week-long vacation into a month-long trip, consult car shipping services like Guardian Auto Transport (www.guardianautotransport.com). That way, you can have your vehicle at your disposal as you venture out into the unknown.
5 great reasons to extend your vacation
At times you might be yearning to go home after a vacation. Other times, you feel tempted to shrug off your responsibilities and extend the holiday a few days or even weeks. Don’t worry. Prolonging your vacation isn’t as challenging as you might think.
If you’re worried about coordinating flight change charges, don’t be. Some airlines like Southwest allow you to change your flight at no cost to the customer. Even if you decide to book with an airline that charges customers for flight adjustments, the price you pay is minute compared to the priceless memories you’ll make abroad.
Are you looking for reasons to extend your vacation? Below are a few that you can keep in your back pocket and use to justify your extended stay, should your boss call you in a fit of rage, demanding to know your whereabouts.
The weather changed for the better
Suppose on your planned three-day vacation it rained cats and dogs from the moment you stepped off the plane. Then, on the day you are leaving, the clouds part, and bright rays of sunshine burst through—just the way you imagined it.
What now? Instead of boarding your plane back home, you extend your stay for a few more days.
Because you haven’t satisfied your travel bug
As departure day inches closer and closer, you may feel like you haven’t satiated your appetite for international adventures. In these cases, consider extending your stay if budget and other circumstances allow.
For most, luxury vacations are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to indulge your innermost desires. If you typically live paycheck-to-paycheck, you may never get another chance like this. That said, utilize the current moment to the fullest. While you could take the practical route, you may suffer from an overwhelming sense of regret down the line.
Because the business trip brought you to your dream vacation destination
Let’s face it. Spending countless hours in boardroom meetings is as mentally-taxing as it is physically draining. To get a fresh perspective, look outside your conference room window and marvel at the scenery around you.
When you look beyond the horizon and step out of your comfort zone, you’ll have the courage necessary to extend your trip for a few more days and explore the city. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Because the trip helped you discover your new self
Travel can breathe life into even the most by-the-book business executives. For one, exploring uncharted territory opens you up to new cultural dimensions that you never thought of. Visualize taking a vacation to India and falling head over heels in love with the local meditation culture.
If the thought of returning to office culture makes you shudder, extend your stay to learn more about yoga. To take your adventure to new heights, enroll in classes with hopes of eventually becoming a yoga instructor. If you’re successful, a vacation can add an entirely new dimension to your left spent within the parameters of a 4×6 cubicle.
Delayed flight? No problem
If you are in a hurry to get home, flight layovers and delays can be frustrating even to the most patient traveler. However, if you aren’t emotionally ready to return to your 9-to-5, flight delay is the best excuse to live the adage “when life throws lemons at you, make lemonade.”
Turn the long layover into a mini-vacation. Push your flight schedule by at least two more days to immerse yourself in your newfound paradise.
Parting shot
Are you thinking of skipping your vacation? Don’t be like many other Americans who forgo their vacation time to meet professional deadlines. Family and work obligations can indeed be overwhelming, but taking time to relax will help you tackle those obligations with vigor.
