Get out of here!

 Have you taken a vacation yet this year? Do it!

You need not go to a swanky resort, or even leave home, but taking a break from work is so very important. Vacation is essential for strong bonds, a productive workforce and a fulfilled life. But each year, more than half of Americans leave vacation time on the table, accumulating to 768 million days in 2018. 

The Oars website tells us (somewhat self-servingly, but who cares) that:

Vacationing may seem like a luxury, but research reveals that it is a necessity. The consequences of passing up vacation days include increased mental fatigue, job dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression. Additionally, working straight through the year could put your health in peril. A study published by the National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI), found that men who were at risk for heart disease and skipped their vacation days were 30% more likely to have a heart attack than those who took extended time off annually.

Another report published in the American Journal of Epidemiology revealed that female employees who throw away vacation days are just as much at risk for health consequences as their male counterparts. Researchers found that women who went six years with only one vacation were eight times more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than those who took two vacations per year. And a study published in the NCBI found that women who vacation frequently are less likely to experience depression, fatigue and anxiety.

Stress is a true physiological response, originally meant to help us and keep us safe. It releases hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine for the fight or flight response that was necessary for early humankind. However, in modern society, chronic stress can be destructive to our bodies. Taking time for regular breaks (including vacations) and leaving our everyday stresses (even if temporarily) give us a break from the constant high levels of these hormones, and a chance to repair.

McMaster University shares these tips to Manage Stress Before, During, and After Vacation:

A tale as old as time. You plan a vacation to relax and forget all about the stress of work. However, being out of the office means doing a lot of extra work before and after, which means that often times your vacation is causing stress instead of reducing it. Here are some strategies to make sure you are actually relaxing on your vacation.

• Build Relaxation Into Your Routine. You do not have to wait for a vacation to practice self-care and relaxation. Take a few moments each day to practice whatever it is that you find relaxing, so you do not spend the first few days of your vacation reminding yourself how to decompress.
• Unplug. If you are physically leaving your work, try mentally leaving your work as well. Limit your use of technology, or temporarily remove applications that may take you away from your vacation.
• Make a Return Plan. To ensure that you ease back into work, block some time off on your first day back to answer priority emails, check in with your team, and set your goals for the first week back. This can be done prior to your vacation, so other obligations are not booked into your calendar immediately upon your return.

So go, play, eat, sleep, relax, check emails if you need to but not too often -- but get out of here!