Sunsets on the beach, hiking in the mountains, and sipping wine at a vineyard — each visual resembles a person’s ideal vacation. We all dream of getting away from our responsibilities and taking time for ourselves, but it’s hard to get away sometimes. While these getaways seem like a pipedream, it’s healthy to get out and go for it.
You should take at least one vacation per year, perhaps two if you can arrange it. Failing to take time for yourself can lead to serious health issues. Research has found that adults who take yearly vacations are less likely to develop heart diseases than adults who don’t.
So, if you won’t use your vacation days for your mental health, how about your heart? In this article, I’ll explain how often a typical person takes a vacation and the benefits of traveling regularly. Also, I’ll share with you some helpful steps on how to choose your ideal vacation, so keep reading!
How Often Does the Typical Person Travel?
Sixty percent of the 1,000 people surveyed in an Expedia survey said they travel within the United States at least 1-2 times per year. The survey also concluded that those who were of retirement age traveled more often. About 10 percent of the participants traveled five or more times.
While international travel was less common among the 1,000 survey respondents, 41% stated that they travel out of the country at least once per year. 8% of respondents revealed they travel out of the country three or more times annually.
How Often Should You Go on Vacation?
You should try to go on vacation 1-2 times annually. If you can travel more frequently, by all means, do it. Whether you choose outbound or inbound travels, the trips you take may leave you feeling more energized and positive after returning home from your vacations.
It’d be nice to say we can travel as far and often as we please, but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. There are a few things you should consider when deciding how often you’d like to travel:
- What do your financial responsibilities look like? Vacations cost money, so the number of trips you want to take in a year will be limited by what you can afford. We all want to feel the bliss of a break away from life’s responsibilities, but we can’t do that if we’re broke or on a tight budget.
- How many people will travel with you? If you live alone, it’s much easier to travel. However, if you’re a family of four, then that cost is going to multiply. Traveling regularly with a group of people is undoubtedly doable; it just depends on your preference, budget, and transportation situation, among other things.
- What is your career/job/school situation? Your daily schedule is also going to make an impact on your decision here. If you only have a set number of vacation days at work or your classes aren’t online, you’ll have a more challenging time trying to schedule multiple vacations.
- How do you want to travel? There are so many different ways you can travel to any destination. Planes, trains, cars, and campers are common choices. Even live-in vans have become more popular. Depending on which transportation you choose, your budget may vary, and you’ll have to think about different types of necessary accommodations, too.
Benefits of Traveling More Often
Domestic or abroad, there are so many benefits to annual travel. Taking time off for yourself can have a significant effect on all aspects of your health and well-being. The idea of leaving responsibilities behind temporarily can be intimidating.
However, the most beneficial thing you can do in your life is to take care of yourself. To elaborate on that, let’s take a look at some of the most prominent benefits:
- Your physical and mental health will improve. Stress is a huge factor in heart disease and other physical illnesses. Because traveling reduces stress, it also reduces your risk of developing these issues.
- Traveling is a great mood booster. Seeing new sites and scenery can do wonders for your general well-being. You will also come home feeling much happier in the long term.
- You’ll feel more motivated upon return. Taking a break from your life responsibilities will, more often than not, leave you with a more optimistic outlook upon your return. You’ll be ready to tackle those projects and tasks with a newfound sense of joy.
- It can improve your relationships. Spending quality time together is the perfect way to enhance your relationship with someone. Whether it’s with a significant other, your kids, or your parents, a vacation together is a good bonding moment.
- Vacationing helps prevent burnout from work/school. If you’re doing the same thing over and over without a break, you may start to feel bored or burnt out. Taking a step back and coming back with fresh eyes helps eradicate that feeling.
How To Choose Your Ideal Vacation
Now that you’ve seen all the good vacation can do for you, choosing the best destination becomes the next hurdle. Planning a trip can be a really stressful process. However, you don’t have to go in completely blind. To give you a bit of a jumpstart, here’s a quick step-by-step overview to help you get your reigns together:
- Decide what type of vacation you want. List out everything you’d like to do and the sights you want to see. Think about your favorite places or somewhere you’ve never been but have always wanted to visit.
- Nail down your vacation budget. Whether you want to go large or be more frugal, you’ll find plenty of travel spots to fit your parameters. Decide how much you want to spend on transportation, housing accommodations, and other travel-specific things.
- Clear your schedule for the trip. You then need to figure out when you want to go and request those days off from your job if you have one. If you’re in school, it may be best to wait until a break if your classes aren’t online.
- Enjoy yourself. You’ve done all the hard stuff, now go and have the time of your life!
After booking your trip and making it to your destination, don’t think it’s time to dive back into work right on the shoreline of the beach. This vacation is for your enjoyment and your enjoyment only. If you don’t think work can creep up on you, think again.
A study done by Glassdoor found that roughly 66% of working Americans admit to working even while on vacation. 14% of survey respondents even mentioned that their travel partners have gotten upset with them for focusing on work.
Choosing to work while on vacation will not only affect your ability to relax, but it can become cumbersome for your travel companions, too. Nobody wants to go on a vacation with someone who is constantly on a work call or trying to submit a project. This time is supposed to be for clearing your headspace, so put the phone away and leave the laptop at home.
Final Thoughts
Your health greatly depends on the breaks you allow yourself, so take at least one vacation per year.
Whether it’s a luxurious cruise or a quiet weekend away from home, you’d be surprised what living a little can do for you.
When you take the time to vacation annually, you take the time to better yourself. When I say this, I don’t mean requesting the time off work only to continue that work while lying on a beach. It may feel too challenging to take a step away, but I have one thing to say to that: do it anyway.
Sources
- Psychosomatic Medicine: Are Vacations Good For Your Health? The 9-Year Mortality Experience After The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial
- Expedia Viewfinder: American Travel Habits Revealed
- Glassdoor: We Just Can’t Unplug: 2 in 3 Employees Report Working While on Vacation
Featured image photo credit: https://upgradedpoints.com