Day 214 – are holidays really good for you?
Holidays should be taken regularly and not for long periods of time, according to some articles re-issued in the UK national press this week. Of course one of the main culprits is the Daily Mail (as it is silly season post Norway/Amy Winehouse, and the DM is not going to focus too much on the American crisis, when plastic bags polluting the coastline is such a hot topic!). So my Dad walks to the local newsagent here in Brussels to buy it every morning, just in case something historical (Dad, this is the DM!) is going to be reported. He also avidly watches the news, while I scan the internet for the latest goings on. I have to admit though, to a sneaky peek of the paper in the evening!
So, I hear you ask, what do the reports say? Well my scan of the net (after seeing the article), picks up that the last studies were 2 years ago, and the upshot is, we should all holiday more and for shorter periods of time, as the benefit lasts a maximum of 2 weeks on your return, the happy factor is high before we go, and we only remember the good bits afterwards. (and shock horror, it makes no difference if we go for a long weekend or 3 weeks!!). As a woman who is well skilled in the art of taking holidays, I’m shocked to hear that my major break in the summer of 3 weeks, actually doesn’t have a bigger benefit than a few days. So actually I should recalculate all my holidays, to once a month to gain the max. Hmmm! Oh and don’t forget, looking forward to a holiday after booking it, is actually just as positive experience as going on it!! (Roll on next weekend………..Thank God for all those Belgian Bank Holidays!!)
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Related articles
- British travellers keen to start holidaying again (travelnews.britishairways.com)
photo via; discounted newspaper subscription.
Life with Lizzi 
In my third week…… can’t change it anymore and actually don’t want to!! I go for regular 3 weeks holidays. To be discussed the next time we work togehter :-). Canadian Dreaming!
glad to hear you’re having a great time……. I agree, actually would be very difficult to give up a 3 week break and take shorter ones…… What is really necessary is the big 3 week break and lots of small ones on top!! That’s one for HR to solve……..
Yeah, somehow, I don’t think the pre-holiday joy is going to cut it just by itself. Nor are a couple of days. I think the best solution is to go a month in summer, a month around xmas and then every month one week off.
sounds perfect…… do you think your Boss will agree to it??