 |
| Victoria Falls-Zambia |
The 1992 Framingham Heart Study, which still stands as the gold standard for long-term health studies, tracked workers over 20 years. It found that "men who don't take vacations were 30% more likely to have heart attack and for women it went up to 50%," These numbers hold true even after researchers took into account other health factors like diabetes, cigarette smoking, income levels and obesity. The conclusions from the study have been backed up by other similar research studies.
In today’s hyper-connected smartphone
world, we’re often working 24/7. Our minds are constantly switched on,
constantly online. That leads to fatigue-metal and physical and when the
fatigue is there all the time, you don’t even realise you’re fatigued as it has
become the order of the day.
That’s why, now, more than ever, it’s
so important to take vacations/sabbaticals. Taking time off is a fantastic way
to recharge and recalibrate your career goals. The disconnect allows then to
see the bigger picture and realign your compasses for the next big target or goal.
Traveling
improves on relationship via spending quality time with family and Friends.
 |
| With amazing friends-Zimbabwe |
Spending
more time away from the office with your family and friends is very essential. By the way, work is a never-ending process and
life is not only about work, office, meetings and customers. Sometimes in our
efforts to provide for our families, we miss a key point: quality time with them. That meeting is important but so is your
family and friends. On our death bed, we will not wish to spend more time
in the office or checking emails, writing reports or minutes but spending time
with family and friends. That’s why, its important to disconnect regularly and
experience real life with those that matter most to you.
Travelling Reduces Stress
Researchers have also found that
vacation is also valuable for mental health and well-being. "Vacation is
essential to reset and remind yourself
that career is not the be-all and end-all. There are other facets to a
healthy existence [outside work]," said Sherry Amatenstein, a New York
City-based Therapist. Those who don't take time off are
"sicker, less productive, stressed, and more anxious and depressed—that
affects your work as well."
Emotional
Agility
One of the benefits of travelling is enhanced emotional agility, or the ability to not react
immediately to emotions, but to observe those that arise, carefully collect
information to understand the possible causes, then intentionally decide how to
manage them. In a
study of 485 United States adults, exposure to foreign travel was linked to a
greater ability to direct attention and energy, which helps us function
effectively in diverse situations and display appropriate verbal and nonverbal
signals of emotion. By spending time in unfamiliar towns, cities, or countries,
you become tolerant and even accepting of your own discomfort and more
confident in your ability to navigate ambiguous situations.
 |
| With amazing friends-India |
Increased
Empathy
Empathy also increases when your
travels thrust you into new territory. In that same study of Americans, those
who’d traveled abroad showed a greater ability to suspend judgment about a
person until acquiring information beyond surface qualities (age, sex, race, or
ethnicity)
People who travel to more countries
develop a greater tolerance and trust of strangers, which alter their attitudes
toward not only strangers but also colleagues and friends back home. They became more appreciative of
people with new knowledge, philosophies, and skills. I can resonate with this
as few times I have traveled , it has enabled me to respect other cultures, enjoy
other food stuff, music and language. My perception of certain ethnicity has
drastically been altered after interacting with them and am now more tolerant
than before.
Increased
creativity.
A study of 46 Dutch workers found that
after going on an international holiday for two to three weeks, they were able
to generate more and more-diverse ideas for alternative ways to use everyday
objects, such as bricks, tires, spoons, and pencils. Researchers in Singapore
have likewise found that greater exposure to other cultures through traveling,
having international friendships, studying languages, and consuming music and
food from other countries is linked to unconventional problem solving.
 |
| Highwire adrenaline adventure on the Victoria Falls |
You have heard for yourselves,
therefore start by writing in your calendar beforehand when to schedule time
for a your next vacation. Once the vacation is in your schedule—even if it's
six or eight months from now—you can organize around it.
 |
| Next booked trip-Macau |
As for me with my family
and friends, we plan and have already planned our trips through a proven systematic, convenient and affordable system (leave a comment or drop email: bmchishimba@gmail.com for more details about this system). You too can do yours and get the benefits of traveling. Start viewing vacation time as a
non-negotiable—like nutritious food, it's a vital part of your health care,
so start treating it as such.
Enjoy your next vacation!
TravelwithBrighton
InspirewithBrighton
(References: CNN Travel, HBR, 2018)
