Why We Need Vacations The
benefits of taking a vacation start long before the suitcases are packed.
1 It may only be a temporary staging
post but looking ahead to a vacation gives us the sense that, whatever’s
happening at the moment, there’s an end in sight. We somehow expect to feel
differently afterwards and are usually proved right. It’s no
coincidence that companies sometimes use away-breaks to restore motivation and
team relationships. 2 If nothing else,
noticing how your thoughts or mood can change on vacation proves that it’s
possible to feel differently. Yet taking a break is only part of the
picture. People don’t disappear while on vacation or go into
suspended animation. 3 What really
makes the difference is not simply geeing away from the old grind;it’s being
able to do something else instead. We might speak to people we wouldn’t normally
meet, try spots we’d not do otherwise and discover interests we never knew we
had. Vacations also allow us to focus on the present in a way
that’s hard to do at home. 4 Sightseeing walks and other recreational activities keep our minds even more
in the here and now. This does much more than provide a few pleasant
experiences. Being "in the moment" is in itself one of the keys to relaxation,
and this happens more naturally on vacation. Useful as they are
in relation to the future, vacations can be even more important in relation to
the past. Like major holidays and the change of seasons, vacations punctuate the
year and give it a unique character. 5 Vacations are one of these markers. You often hear people recall, for
example, that "it was the year we went to Disneyland" or "right after we got
back from camping". Family vacations can be some of clearest memories people
have from their childhoods and important parts of a family’s shared
history. A. We’re still thinking and feeling the whole time
we’re away. B. If you’re able to switch off and leave everyday
patterns behind, when you come back, you often view old situations with fresh
eyes and see them in a new light. C. A vacation is something to
look forward to and keeps long stretches of routine from seeming
endless. D. Every vacation is an adventure full of potential
discoveries. E. Ask someone about a certain period of time and
they’ll pinpoint it by going back over landmark events. F. When
you’re in a new environment for a short space of time, your attention tends to
be on what’s happening right now and in the next few days.