25 Sep Soul Food. Click to keep reading…
Taking vacations is always fun, but did you know that it’s also good for you? A 2002 study found that planning a vacation added to a person’s happiness. People who vacation regularly are also less likely to suffer from heart disease and heart attacks. Vacationers have been found to have lower blood pressure and more robust immune systems as well.
Travel also alters your brain. Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist, suggest “When you expose your brain to an environment that’s novel and complex or new and difficult, the brain literally reacts. You’re stunned a little bit, and your brain reacts by being engaged, and you begin to process on a deep level.” These changes can help with day-to-day problem solving and improve creativity.
Travel can also grant you an emotional boost. Travel can reconnect you to friends and family. The Journal of Consumer Psychology report on a 2011 study that found some of the highest levels of happiness are associated with spending quality time with some of our favorite people. It also holds true that reminiscing about good times also increases happiness levels.
You can also use vacations to catch up on your sleep. If you suffer from a sleep deficit regularly, you can make up for some of those lost hours. Spending that time asleep can help you form healthy sleep habits going forward, too.
When is the last time you planned and traveled for vacation? Go ahead and do it, your body will thank you for it.
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