So I Can Feel More Healthy And More Creative!!!

Enjoy Your Vacation

Too much time in sealed homes and offices saps your brain of fresh oxygen, which is essential to clear thinking, Howard says. 

So get outside for frequent breaks or at least open a window. Just spending time in nature and sunshine can boost brain health by improving mood and creating calm. 

It also provides vitamin D, and people with low levels of the “sunshine vitamin” have a greater risk for cognitive decline, according to a 2010 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. 

II recently read a somewhat unscientific article that talked about why vacation is good for your brain, and it mentioned the work of Adam Galinsky and William Maddux. 

 I found there is a fascinating body of work about how traveling affects creative thinking. Maddux et al have published research findings showing that multicultural learning experiences enhance creativity, and that living abroad improves creativity measures of insight, association, and generation.

Further research shows that vacation can have recuperative health benefits. A study in middle-aged men at high risk for heart disease showed that those who took annual vacations had a significantly lower mortality rate (over a 9 year period) than a non-vacationing cohort.

 In a Japanese study of white-collar workers, Tarumi et al concluded that leisurely vacations could be beneficial in maintaining health and controlling fatigue in workers. A follow-up study showed that the white-collar workers who took vacations were also less likely to be depressed and less likely to miss work.

 I should take into account the work of Strauss-Blasche et al., who found that how you organize your vacation can affect the health outcomes. For example, participants in that study who experienced enjoyable free time, warmer locations, exercise, good sleep, and meeting new people on vacation reported feeling better afterwards, while people who experienced vacation stressors like health issues, colder climates, and bigger time differences were more exhausted when they came home.

On top of that there’s neuroscientist David Eagleman’s view about why is it important to travel to new and different places instead of the same place over and over again. He has reported that our  perception of time quickens with age, and says “traveling  to novel places… essentially puts you — neurally — in the same position as when you were a child.”

 That makes sense to me, as I’m always looking to visit a new and exciting place.

-  Team Shirsa