Americans earn an average of 21 vacation days each year, but a recent survey by Oxford Economics found that they are taking only 16. And while many employees think they are doing their bosses a favor by skipping the beach, Marla Ahlgrimm cautions that the opposite is true. Ahlgrimm reports that vacations are essential to employee performance and, in turn, a company’s success.
But why is that? According to Marla Ahlgrimm, regular breaks away from the daily grind have a huge positive effect on health. From reducing the risk of heart attack to an improved sex life, vacations provide a much needed way to “reboot.”
For decades, Marla Ahlgrimm has observed the benefits of time away from work. She says a regular vacation relaxes the brain and can help a person focus more when they are back at work or school. When a person isn’t able to take time away, the brain actually responds with stress and starts to impact long and short-term memory. Essentially, vacationing makes a person more able to concentrate and recall important information – vital skills in the workforce.
And stress doesn’t just affect the brain, says Marla Ahlgrimm. It is a contributing factor to heart disease and high blood pressure, both of which are precursors to a heart attack. The stress hormone cortisol is also related to depression and anxiety, so vacationing can work to increase both cardiovascular and emotional health.
Still not convinced to start packing? Marla Ahlgrimm says regular vacations can improve a lumbering love life. Vacations allow couples to step away from the daily grind of life and all of its day-to-day distractions. Parents of young children can especially benefit from a few nights away (sans the kids, of course!) She notes that the term “vacation sex” comes from a real phenomenon, so make vacationing a priority in the coming summer months.
