Many people do not give themselves a chance to breathe by going on vacation. They rationalise that the money spent on vacation can be better spent elsewhere. Not to mention the number of people who do not even rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Yes, I am talking to you Mr Entrepreneur or Ms Self-Employed.
The only reason some company workers take a vacation is so they can have access to the travel allowance given when the leave is approved. We really need to take time out to go on vacations regardless of the cost implication.
Below are four cogent reasons you need a vacation:
1. To Improve Health
People who take vacations regularly have lower stress levels, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals. When you take a vacation and go hiking on Oke Ado Mountain or Holy Mountain, you get a workout which improves your physical health, and the calmness you feel when you reach the top can help to improve your mental health. Just being a new environment can help strengthen your antibodies and improve your immune system as well. Not to mention taking a dip in the mineral-rich waters that people claim to have healing properties like Ikogosi warm spring which can improve your skin and relieve stress and pains. Even the act of travelling forces you to be active as you jump from the cab to buses or planes to trains rather than sitting in one place. So take a break from your usual routine for the sake of improving your health.
2. To Sleep More
Ever heard of a Staycation? You can decide to have a read-a-ton, an indoors cinema-experience at home with popcorn at night, or relax by the pool, chat with friends on a visit, etc. It is called taking ‘active rest’ during the day and it can also help you sleep better at night. Or you can check into a hotel like Eko Hotels and Suites or resort like Epe Resort and Spa during your three-week vacation and create new sleep cycles that can help reset your biological makeup. You will sleep better with the cold temperature from the hotel ACs, the thick blinds that shut out light, the silence that comes with the hotel being in an isolated place far from the bustle of the city and excess pillows which you can prop up to clear your airways especially if you have sleep apnoea. Remember, as adults we need seven to nine hours of sleep per day and a vacay is a great time to catch up on our doses of required sleep.
3. To have a Reality Check
When you get bored with the monotony of life and work or you feel stuck in life, go on a vacation – travel to another city, state or country. Just planning a trip will give you a burst of happiness. Travelling during a vacation can give you a change of perspective. It helps you appreciate what you have and value the simple things in life which elevates your character. You get to marvel at the scenic places around you like visiting the abandoned Nok village, Sukur Cultural Landscape or Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. Being far from your comfort zone, you get to know yourself better by making decisions, conquering fears, adapting to unpredictable situations, removing the generalised label on people and learning to get along with strangers.
4. To Improve productivity
Taking a vacation helps you clear your mind and creates more space for new ideas/brain connectivity. It reduces burnout at work making workers more focused, creative and productive. Workers who take a vacation annually tend to make fewer mistakes due to poor judgement because their stress levels are low. They are more open to new innovations due to cultural awareness and more emotionally stable. So the next time you think you are under-performing at work, ask yourself, ‘when was my last vacation?’ If travelling isn’t possible, utilise your weekends for an awesome Staycation. Even travelling on a weekend to another city with a waterfront like McCarthy Beach in Abraka and running in the sand is good for that breakthrough idea you need for your Monday productivity.
Now you know, please start planning your vacation using the articles in the Tourism Column here on Connect Nigeria.
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