Just What the Doctor Ordered: Vacation for Your Health

By John de Graaf

 

If there’s one thing Americans need more of, it’s vacation time. Sure, we’ve got the Grossest Domestic Product on the planet. But American society is no longer as healthy as it should be because of vacation deprivation. In 1980, people in only ten other countries lived longer than we do. Now, people in more than 40 countries live longer than people in the US. If you lived in Europe, for example, you’d be half as likely than Americans to suffer from such chronic illnesses as heart disease, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes after the age of 50.

 

There is a conclusive body of research that points to hectic, work-life balance issues in the United States as a leading contributor to why Americans don’t take the time or often overlook the importance of vacations.

 

And why is that? A big reason is time. Europeans work about 300 hours less, on average, each year than Americans do. Consequently, they have a lot more free time to exercise, eat slowly and healthily, sleep longer and socialize with friends and family. Each of these activities does wonders for their health. That explains a big part of the fact that they only pay a little over half as much as we do for health care. A big part of the extra free time that Europeans enjoy can be attributed to the longer vacations they take. At a minimum, every European worker is guaranteed four weeks paid vacation by law. Most get six or more.

 

By contrast, a new poll (www.right2vacation.org/poll_results.asp) of 1,000 representative Americans, conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, found that 29% of American workers took no paid vacation time last year and another 24% took a week off or less.

 

And if that isn’t enough proof for you, a recent Pew Research Center survey found that more middle-class Americans (68%) responded that “having free time” was a high priority for themselves and their families than any other goal. By contrast, only 12% said “becoming wealthy” was highly important to them.

 

People need to understand the important health benefits they will get from taking time away from their normal routine. Vacations are not a luxury, but an important part of any healthy lifestyle.

 

Studies show that men who take regular vacations are 32% less likely to die of heart attacks than those who don’t. The Framingham Heart Study found that women who don’t take vacations are up to eight times more likely to suffer from heart disease than women who take two vacation breaks a year. We’re talking big numbers here—and high costs to our health care system. Another study showed that women who don’t take vacations are more than twice as likely to suffer from depression as those who do. It isn’t rocket science— vacations make us healthier.

 

They also make us more productive. An Air New Zealand study found that after taking a vacation, workers got an extra hour of quality sleep and their reaction times were 30-40 percent faster. And the gains lasted for months. This doesn’t happen with “daycations” —a day off here and there, usually spent running errands. We need time to unwind. A real vacation can reduce workplace stress and burnout dramatically.

 

Here’s a scary statistic: the number of Americans taking family vacations has dropped by a third in the past generation. Yet experts like University of Minnesota Professor of Family Therapy, William Doherty, say such vacations are a primary source of bonding, and among the best family experiences most likely to be remembered by children.

 

It’s time for over-stressed Americans to write-out their own prescription: ‘Take Two Weeks and Call Me in the Morning’. That regular vacation break will keep people out of the doctor’s office and enjoying life. Vacations matter for health, family, the environment and productivity. American need to make the connection that we are vacation-deprived and that taking a regular vacation will provide long-lasting health and family benefits.

 

John de Graaf is the co-author of AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC and the Executive Director of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME (www.timeday.org).

 

 

About John de Graaf