How Taking Vacation Actually Improves Your Health, According to Doctors

Daydreaming of a vacation? Experts offer six compelling ways your body will thank you for booking time off. (Turns out, there’s scientific truth behind that post-vacation glow.)

Among advanced economies around the world, the US stands out in one troubling way, according to The Center for Economic and Policy Research. The center refers to America as the “No Vacation Nation” with a workaholic culture that contributes to increased stress levels, lower well-being, and physical health problems like heart disease, says Joyce Marter, LCPC, licensed psychotherapist and author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life.

“Not taking vacations means we are perpetually on the hamster wheel of work and life responsibilities,” Marter says. Lacking any break from our daily routines can cause us to live unconsciously, staying stuck in jobs or relationships that are no longer a good fit for us. On the other hand, vacationing encourages a range of health benefits, with research showing time off can actually help you live longer.

Keep reading this article on The Healthy.