Have you taken your vacation yet?

Vacation

 Have you cleared your annual leave? Are you not going to take time off from work? Leaving your place of work even for a couple of days is beneficial for your well-being. Here are some reasons why a vacation is good for you:

·         Rest and relax: You don’t have to travel, just do what you like going to a movie,  baking or spending time with family and friends. Such activities are able to neutralize the impact of burnout and stress.

·         Healthier: According to Karen Matthews of the University of Pittsburgh's Mind-Body Center, leisure, including vacation, contributed to more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions and depression. It is important to engage in leisure activities, as a way to enjoy life more, and to potentially have good health benefits. Taking your annual leave is such a healthy choice.

·         Inspire creativity: Getting away from work gives you an opportunity to look at things from a new perspective. You get better ideas and more productive when you resume work. You react to problems with energy and resolve.

·         Learn to delegate in your absence: Someone has to do the work for you. It is the best time to hand over your workload and train someone to act on your behalf.

·         You deserve it or you work for nothing: You are entitled to it or else you will not be compensated. Take your well-earned rest.

·         Time to ponder: It is also a good time to appraise your direction in life.  Are you getting what you want in life?  How can you do things differently to achieve the desired results?

According to a Chinese saying, the purpose of taking a rest is to allow you to travel a longer distance.  

7 Effective Ways to Go On a Stress-Free Holiday

A holiday is supposed to unwind, reduce stress and gain sanity. Don’t go to the wrong places, do the wrong things and get yourself more stressed while you are on a holiday:

1.       Plan ahead: Prepare a list of essential items to take along such as your passport. You don’t want to rush about retrieving your passport and miss your fright. Travel light is the best way to enjoy a stress-free holiday. Lugging too much luggage on a trip is the cause of stress.

2.       Go slow: When you are driving on a holiday trip, take your time and go slow. You will reach your destination sooner or later; just enjoy the scenery along the way.

3.       Disconnect from technology: Don’t do work while you are on holiday. Don’t take along your laptop or iPad, you will start to check emails and get into a working mood to spoil your holiday.

4.       Do nothing: You don’t have to plan what to do during a holiday. Just do it when the mood strikes you. A holiday is supposed to be carefree. 

5.       Avoid crowded places: One way to be stressed is to go to places where there are a lot of people. It is just like going to work with people rushing about everywhere.

6.       Shop less: Trying to do a lot of shopping during a holiday is a sure way to get stressed and tired. The place is normally crowded. It will take some time to pick an item and pay for it.

7.       Go to the right places: The best places to get peace of mind are beach and hill resorts. You get closer to nature and away from the madding crowd. You are in a tranquil setting to soothe your senses. Select the right places to get the full benefit of a stress-free holiday.  

Did you have a stress-free holiday recently?