Last week I put in well over 45 hrs of work in, not to mention drive time, hours of house work and the most important, spending time with my family.  I know that I am no different than most of the woman.  Seventy years ago a wife and mother’s job was to be just that, a great wife and mother.  They spent sixteen plus hours a day being a home maker, a profession to be proud of.  But today most of us need to, somehow, find a way to be that great wife and/or mother and work outside the home.  I can not speak for everyone, but I can only “do it all” for so long before I need a break.  I need to stay healthy for myself and my family.  Taking a vacation improves my mental and physical health.

 

Vacations are good for your health.  A study published in 2000 in the medical journal Psychosomatic Medicine has shown that taking regular vacations is associated with a longer, healthier life.  Vacations, a long with sleep, exercise, and other leisure time activities appear to be restorative and protect against the ill effects of psychological stress.  Here are some good “excuses” to take a vacation.

·        Vacations reduce stress by removing us from stress at home and work.  On vacation we are more likely to unwind and relax.

·        Vacations may be a personal, internal adventure, for many of us.  Some self-seakers want to be alone to solve personal problems or simply enjoy themselves.  Solitude is not a luxury, it is a periodic necessity.

·        For me one of the biggest reason to take a vacation is to pamper myself.  Most of us work quite hard and are generally frugal.  Everyone deserves to taste the fruit of their labors.

·        Doing what you want, when you want.  Vacations can offer the freedom to explore our wishes and fantasies.  For a brief moment, escape the pressures of day to day life and rediscover the joy of a less regulated lifestyle.