Everyone has their own routine that continues to be done every day throughout the month and even throughout the year. Without realizing it, this can trigger prolonged stress. One way to stop stress for a while is to take a vacation, and this is beneficial for one’s physical and mental health. But did you know that the benefits of vacations are not only for mental health?
Benefits of vacation for mental health
Mental health is the first thing that gets disturbed when you experience stress, both short and long term. Stress also has an impact on the emergence of depression and a decrease in the ability to carry out activities due to feeling tired with the routine that is undertaken. One study in Wisconsin showed a higher risk of depression was found in individuals who took less than two years of vacation once. In addition, other research from the University of Pittsburgh shows that engaging in recreational activities and vacations can significantly increase positive emotions.
Benefits of vacation for physical health
Vacationing is not only beneficial for calming the mind but also good for overall physical health. Researchers in the field of immunity, Prof. Fulvio D’Acquisto (as reported by dailymail) argues that a new and pleasant environment can stimulate the immune system to work better.
The results of experiments on mice by D’Acquisto show that a pleasant environment can increase white blood cell levels which are useful for protecting the body when exposed to infectious agents without drug administration. He also believes that, in addition to taking medication, changing the environment when you are sick can improve the patient’s overall health.
In addition to immunity, vacationing is also good for heart health because it can reduce the risk of high blood pressure caused by stress. This has been proven by various studies, one of which is the Frammingham Heart Study which shows that someone who regularly vacations has a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease and dying from diseases related to cardiovascular conditions.
Routine without vacation is not good for health
Vacation is one way to control stress, and the health effects caused by the hormone cortisol, which is generally associated with immunity and inflammation of the blood vessels. Stress is a mental health disorder that can last for a long time as long as the brain is under certain pressure. This causes the development of the disease can take place along with the stressful conditions experienced by a person.
Chronic stress is very likely experienced by someone who can not control stress or work with a very busy routine every day. In the end, most cases of stress can trigger depressive conditions that cause a decrease in work performance and quality of life in a person.
Vacationing doesn’t have to be done for a long time or by traveling far, but it can be done by using time to calm yourself and your mind, such as doing outdoor activities or doing hobbies that you can’t do while you are working. Although the effects of relaxation may only be felt for a moment, taking a vacation can reduce your accumulated time when experiencing stress.
Tips to stay fit during and after vacation
One of the goals of a vacation is to get a moment of peace. But in reality, we often don’t take care of our bodies and can’t manage stress while on vacation. This causes the vacation to be less fun and tends to be tiring so it doesn’t have a positive effect after a vacation. Here are some tips to stay fit while you’re on vacation:
Plan the time and type of transportation
this will determine your preparation needs and adapt it to weather and road conditions. Without preparation, things like long travel times can make you stressed during the trip.
Getting enough sleep
this starts with getting enough sleep before going on vacation. A healthy night’s sleep pattern will reduce difficulty falling asleep or jet lag while on vacation. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, try taking short breaks during the day and limiting caffeine consumption if absolutely necessary.
Stay active
long walks will limit you from moving for a long time so take the opportunity to get moving to stretch and walk. This is useful for keeping you relaxed and energized.
Meet and adjust nutritional needs
adjust calorie needs from carbohydrates and fats with activities you do while on vacation, especially limit if most of the time is spent with sedentary activities such as sitting and sleep. In addition, meet the needs of vitamins and water to maintain endurance during the holidays.
Avoid contact with routines
limit the use of gadgets and activities that you usually do at work. In addition to making it difficult for you to relax, staying at work while on vacation will reduce the quality of your vacation and be more likely to cause you to feel guilty by choosing to take vacations over work, leaving you feeling stressed after a vacation.