After a vacation, sometimes it can be hard to ease back into things at your workplace. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:
It might seem that most people take their vacation time and understand the importance and benefits of taking time off work – but this is incorrect. Most North Americans do not use their entire vacation time during the year due to fear of falling behind and other concerns. However, there are many proven benefits to taking vacation time, such as the following:
While this video quotes stats from the US, what are your reactions to their comments about vacation and stress? https://www.facebook.com/attn/videos/1109568302411961
Do you hesitate to take vacation? If so, why?
Does the vacation that you do take give you rejuvenation and satisfaction? If not, why not?
Feel free to post your answers here or email Healthy@dal.ca directly.
Vacation is a great time, and we’ve already covered the health benefits of taking a little time off, but it can be hard to eat healthy when you’re away from home. If you’re staying at a resort, then it may be hard to get nutritious foods when all there is is a buffet. But there are ways to eat healthy when on vacation, a couple of which we’ll explore below.
At the Resort
All-inclusive resorts are great, but the one thing they often lack is nutritious foods. If you’re traveling to a different country, look up the types of foods that are traditionally served. Look for foods that are baked, grilled, or steamed rather than fried or deep fried. If they have a buffet, try to fill your plate with mostly vegetables, with small servings of meat and starches like pasta or rice. If your room has a mini fridge, pick up some healthy foods that you could use for quick, nutritious meals. Finally, go easy on the drinks, as the calories in alcoholic beverages can add up quickly. For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic (Eat Right Ontario, 2016).
On the Road
When you’re traveling somewhere by car, you can pack healthy lunches and snacks. Keep a snack bag or cooler handy with fresh fruit, vegetables, nut and seeds, sandwiches, and granola bars. Not only would you be eating healthy, you will save time and money. If you like to stop along the way and try the local food, find out what restaurants you’ll pass along your trip. Check out their menus before hand and try to choose the one that has the healthiest options (Eat Right Ontario, 2016).
At the Cottage
If you’re firing up the grill this summer, consider cooking salmon, chicken breasts, or pork kabobs. Fruit and veggies like red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, peaches and pineapples taste great grilled. Summer is also the time to load up on fresh, seasonal produce, like berries, peaches, plums, and corn. Finally, on a hot day by the lake, make your own popsicles with 100% fruit juice or try yoghurt instead of ice cream (Eat Right Ontario, 2016).
Bottom Line
Going on vacation is a great time to enjoy a relaxing time with friends and family. Staying on track with healthy eating is easy when you plan ahead and choose wisely.
Reference
Eat Right Ontario. (2016). Healthy eating while on vacation. Retrieved from https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Holidays/Celebrations/Healthy-eating-while-on-vacation.aspx
Taking a vacation not only can be fun, but it also can help bring a variety of health benefits. The unfortunate thing is that the average employee only takes half of his or her eligible vacation time. And when we do go on vacation, we’re in constant contact, and we continue to do work. Doing this means that you don’t benefit from the upsides of downtime, which we’ll explore below.
Vacation and Heart Disease
There have been multiple studies on the effect of working life on cardiovascular health, one of them being the landmark Farmingham Heart Study, the largest and longest-running cardiovascular study. Both men and women who vacationed only once every several years were much more likely than those who vacationed at least once a year to develop coronary heart disease or have a heart attack (Health Net, 2016).
Vacation and Depression
A study found that those who vacationed at least once every two years were less likely to suffer from depression and had higher positive emotional levels. The benefits of vacationing also extend to lower blood pressure and less obesity (Health Net, 2016).
Vacation and Stress
A study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that vacations reduce stress by removing people form the activities and environments that tend to be sources of stress. It’s been shown that taking vacations helped to alleviate job stress (Health Net, 2016).
Vacation and Productivity
A study found that, for each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their year-end performance ratings improved 8% and frequent vacationers also were significantly less likely to leave the organization. Additionally, it’s been shown that high-level professionals who were required to take time off were significantly more productive overall than those who spent more time working (Health Net, 2016).
Reference:
Health Net. (2016). Health Benefits of Vacations. Retrieved from
https://www.healthnet.com/portal/home/content/iwc/home/articles/health_benefits_of_vacations.action