How Taking Vacations Can Help You Live Longer

by: Donna Wright 

Get Packing, Vacations May Improve Longevity 

Stop wasting your vacation days to run errands. Instead plan a fun vacation because your life may depend on it … literally. 

You see, traveling may be good for the body, mind, and maybe even your longevity. 

Consider this: 

:: You work 40 hours per week. 

:: You work 40+ years. 

:: That can add up to a lot of stress. 

:: Stress can cause physical distress physical conditions. 

:: Stress and physical conditions adversely affect longevity. 

Planning vacations, staycations, short getaways, and extended weekends could help you reduce chronic stress throughout the year. And less stress can be beneficial to your overall life for years to come. 

Vacation is More Than Just a Travel Opportunity 

Keep in mind that “taking a vacation” doesn’t always require travel. It’s more about unplugging from your career for a specific time period. It allows you to take a mental and physical vacation from your daily work routine, tasks, and responsibilities.  

You can choose to travel near or far, relax or thrill seek, or you can even just stay at home to read books. Take time off to do a craft or home improvement project, or binge watch your favorite shows, videos, and reels. Whatever you choose, it must do things that you love and, most importantly, things that you consider fun. Your mind will feel refreshed. Your body relaxed. Your heart will feel pure happiness. 

Many of us would even appreciate one vacation day to step away from work. 

 Here are some key benefits to taking a vacation and how it can improve longevity. 

Reduce Your Stress Levels 

Stress can lead to cumulative negative effects on your physical health. That’s why stress relief is one of the biggest immediate benefits of vacation. Stress increases cortisol levels that in turn, increase the risk of stress-related illnesses and chronic medical conditions. I can’t “stress” this enough. Since stress can negatively affect blood pressure and contribute to heart disease, it’s critical that you give stress a vacation.  

When you vacation, you escape from daily stressors and immediately reduce dangerous cortisol levels. Your job tasks, responsibilities, and obligations temporarily cease, and you can focus on fun activities. In other words, you leave your work stress behind and focus on the present. 

Just imagine the stress that can be reduced by simply taking a few vacations per year. The decision to vacation could be looked upon as life-changing when it comes to the benefits of reduced blood pressure and improved heart health. 

Vacations Instigate Physical Activity 

And speaking of alleviating stress, it’s no secret that physical movement can also alleviate stress. Many people sit at a desk facing a computer for 40 hours or more per week. Just imagine the toll all that sitting can take on your body. Also, consider the strain on your eyes from computer glare as well as the repetitive stress on your hands, wrists, and fingers from continuous typing. On the flipside, some people work standing on their feet 8 hours a day or have a job that is physically demanding on the body like construction, landscaping, roofing, and firefighting.  

Vacations give you the opportunity to move your physical body whether walking on the beach, hiking through the mountains, golfing, riding bikes, strolling downtown city streets, or perhaps ziplining, jet skiing, snow skiing, or hopping on every thrill ride at an amusement park. Improving your physical activity while breathing in fresh air is an instant way to reduce stress. 

Vacations Help Improve Mental Health and Increase Happy Thoughts 

Vacation time is a tool for helping to improve mental health and mood. 

Vacations provide time for relaxation, rejuvenation, and a sense of peace that is beneficial for mental well-being. The happier thoughts generated during vacation could help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. This mental reset could provide benefits that last longer than the vacation.  

When you have new experiences instead of your normal daily routine, or you do something adventurous, you’re increasing the levels of dopamine in your body. Dopamine is the hormone that makes you feel “happy.”  

As soon as you start planning a vacation, your “happiness” level increases. The excitement of the trip’s destination, shopping for new outfits and travel supplies, and packing your suitcase can produce excitement. Let’s face it. Even buying travel size toothpaste and shampoo promotes the joy of the anticipated travel adventure. 

Vacations Help Avoid Burnout While Boosting Energy and Productivity 

Excessive levels of stress can also lead a person to experience burnout. Burnout is caused by a feeling of being overworked or overcommitted with responsibilities and tasks. Symptoms of burnout may be exhaustion, inability to focus, negativity, and energy depletion. Taking a few vacations per year could help to reduce burnout. 

Sometimes all you need to do is get away from your desk for a few days or a week to gain back the fire that you once had. The benefits of reducing burnout from stress could help you return to work feeling rested and energized, leading to enhanced productivity, creativity, and an overall better attitude. Feeling good at work, post vacation, continually reminds us about the valuable benefits of stepping away from work to take personal time off. 

Vacations Help Strengthen Relationships 

One of the greatest benefits of vacation is the quality time you can spend with family and friends. Social interactions are an important part of longevity as your relationships and social connections play a supportive role in your day-to-day well-being.  

Escaping from daily routines is good for the entire travel party as each person can de-stress from busy schedules, early mornings, and late nights. Sharing the adventure of visiting a new destination or a familiar family vacation spot, allows a special bonding time filled with silliness, fun chatter, and lots of laughter. 

The best part is that when you return home from the vacation, you can all sit down to start discussing and planning the next vacation based on input from family and friends. That provides an ongoing conversation to take some of the focus off your busy daily routines and instead, have a calendar countdown until your next great adventure together. 

Vacations are Not One Size Fits All 

The first step to planning a vacation is to look at your calendar, select a vacation destination, get permission from work so you don’t overlap time off with a colleague, and then book your transportation and accommodations. Just the mere contemplation about where to visit can elevate your mood and give you something to look forward to while you’re stressing at work. 

Based on your stage of life, you may opt to travel with your significant other, your children, extended members of your family, friends, a travel group, or even solo. Don’t feel you need to jump on a cruise or travel to another country to experience an adventure. You can drive a few hours from your home to visit a new destination and reap the benefits of a rewarding experience. 

Taking a vacation from work or your daily routine does not mean that you have to travel anywhere. A “staycation,” where you don’t travel but instead remain at home, still allows you to escape from your work tasks and help you reduce stress, improve your mood, and allow you to have the most perfect relaxation. During a “staycation,” plan some fun, full day activities that can increase your “dopamine” levels and make you feel “vacation” happy. And stay away from office work.  

Good News: Living Longer Means More Time For Vacations 

Are you contemplating skipping those vacation days this year? Don’t do it. The longevity benefits of vacations outweigh your attempt to show your boss that you’re a devoted employee. 

Regular vacations from work and daily routines throughout the year offer physical and mental health benefits, improved job performance, better relationships, and so much more. Lessening stress levels helps reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, while increasing physical movement and elevating mood. When you take a vacation you may notice that within a day or two, your physical ailments lessen, sleep improves, your mood is happier, and your overall well-being is improved.  

Take some time to research destinations and invite your family to help decide on where to go, things to do, and places to see. Plan a vacation filled with activities that you enjoy, and you will feel better for a longer time while improving longevity. Sometimes, just thinking about traveling and looking forward to an upcoming trip can help reduce stress and give you something happy to focus on. Vacations can help you feel relaxed, refreshed, renewed, and ready to handle whatever comes your way when you return.  

The more stress, daily responsibilities, obligations, pressure, and tasks that you have in your life, the more critical vacations may be to your longevity. Go ahead! It’s time for you to submit your request for a few days off.