Guest blog: Why is it so important to take a holiday?
What do you think of when you imagine your ideal holiday? Endless white sandy beaches? Hiking across mountains at sunset with friends? Or if you are staycationing, just an opportunity to lie in, go somewhere you have always wanted to but never got round it. It is different for all of us. However, one thing that nearly everyone wants from their holiday is that feeling of just being away from it all. The break from the chores, the routine, the chaos and the mental load.
The mental and physical health benefits of having a proper break cannot be underestimated. They include:
The simple act of changing your scenery has the effect of literally changing your perspective. Seeing new people, new places, new ways of living can challenge the routines and habits that you have built up, and make you see your relationships and day to day life with new, fresh eyes. Fresh perspectives bring fresh solutions and new ideas.
Reset of your nervous system. In today’s wild rollercoaster of a world, many of us live in a state of hyper vigilance, with our sympathetic nervous systems running the show, which means that we are in a near constant state of flight, flop or fight. This is mentally and physically exhausting as you are running on cortisol and adrenaline, and leads to burn out, stress and anxiety. Taking a proper break can feel stressful, as you may worry about what you are coming back into, so it can be temping to take your work phone with you and just ‘check in’ on your emails. However, by doing this, you could be preventing all the happy, calm hormones like oxytocin and serotonin being able to kick in. By taking a proper break, avoiding the stress surges that come with opening your emails, you allow your parasympathetic nervous system to kick in, and deep restorative rest to occur.
Change your concept of time. Many professions have very strict time pressures, and as such, working days are often structured within an inch of their lives to ensure that there is maximum accountability and productivity. It can be completely exhausting, as you need to balance often simultaneous competing demands on your time, with one eye on what the next hour, two hours, three hours look like and how on earth you are going to fit it all in by the time you need to go and pick the children up. By taking some time away from the clock, you become accountable to you and those you are on holiday with, and that is it. You can focus on the here and now, embracing the current, and be totally and unequivocally present with those you are with.
Changing your environment, routine or demands on your time can have a really significant impact on how you feel, and your relationships with those around you.
Written with the brilliant Sophie from Not Just Travel, who does all the leg work arranging your trip, so you can just dream and go. What are you waiting for?
