19 Oct 2018
Posted by BonnieF Just planning or anticipating a holiday can make you almost as happy as going on one, says a study reported on the Huffington Post.
While how you feel after a holiday depends on the reality of how good it was (i.e if you spent the whole time arguing with your partner then the relaxation value will significantly drop), the study found that all holidaymakers experienced a significant boost in happiness during the planning stages of the trip because individuals were looking forward to good times ahead.
The accessible version of daydreaming proves to have a significant and positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals as they go about the planning stages of a holiday, up to months in advance.
Talking about your holiday is good for your health
It is perhaps not a surprise therefore that in the States it is estimated that around 69% of people plan their holidays during work hours, according to a Travel Secrets survey, bringing a little escapism to the middle of the week. It’s also an extremely good excuse to talk about your upcoming holiday with anyone who will listen.
69% of people plan their holidays during work hours
Of course, while simply daydreaming would be a much more cost effective way to relax than going away, actually going on holiday, or at least taking time off, is also a fundamental part of wellbeing… as well as being a nice thing to do. While many people report being too stressed out to take time off, the lack of doing so obviously creates something of a vicious cycle.
Not taking holidays makes us less productive
The strange thing is, that while we may feel we can’t take time off because we’re too busy, not taking time off can actually make us less productive. Real Business commented: “Working additional hours can actually be counter-intuitive to an aim of doing more work as the lack of time to relax can open the risk of increasing stress in workplace which can potentially mean less productivity and a decrease in work quality. It comes back to the classic ability to be able to strike up a work-life balance to be at your most effective at work and to live a healthy lifestyle.”
lack of time to relax can… decrease in work quality
Those of us who are taking our holiday each year, are also doing so very differently to our parents, due to the change in options and working culture over the last 20 years. According to the Office for National Statistics, since 1996 there has been a significant decrease in two-week breaks in favour of taking more holidays in short bursts.
This can be attributed to the rise in budget airlines, as well as the practical appeal for taking more, short and regular periods off in order to have frequent breaks from computers and phones without racking up enormous to-do lists for when your return.
So what can we take away from these insightful pieces of information?
- View your career as more of a marathon and a sprint and remember to pace yourself (i.e take breaks) so you don’t burn out.
- Take shorter, regular breaks rather than one long break if you’re worried about work piling up.
- Think about and plan trips in advance so you get the added feel good factor of anticipation.
- Talk to your friends and family about your holiday in advance – as if you needed an excuse.
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