Who doesn’t love a good holiday? Whether it’s a full on Euro Summer, a week away with your family at the coast or even a staycation at a local hotel – a holiday is one thing that breathes new life into all of us – even if it’s just a short one.

The simple act of disconnecting from the everyday stresses of life does wonders for our health – both mentally and physically – and simultaneously gives us something to look forward to. Here’s 3 ways a holiday benefits your health. 

• Reduces stress

Life’s busy, that’s a given and between the stresses of juggling work, the kids/family, the gym, social activities, trying to clean the house and everything else in between, it’s fair to say that it’s exhausting and stressful. Stress raises the cortisol levels in our bodies and if too much is produced, it can cause all sorts of health problems so it’s important to try and keep it as level as possible. Holidays are the perfect way to unwind and destress by stepping away from our everyday responsibilities and schedules. No alarm clocks, midday naps and actively choosing to do and participate in activities that light your soul are perfect ways to reduce feelings of stress and bring you back to your baseline! 

• Recharges energy 

Despite what it may feel like at times, we don’t have an infinite amount of energy we can continue to give and if we’re not depositing energy back into our bodies, we’ll overdraw it. Contrary to popular belief, sleep isn’t the only way we recharge and replenish lost energy. Running at full mental capacity for extended periods of time with no break will only lead to burnout and stepping away from work can ironically be the thing that helps give you clarity and more ideas so you can hit the ground running again. 

• Improves relationships 

Humans are very social creatures and we really crave quality time with our friends and family, which helps create feelings of belonging. When life is busy and work is stressful, it’s easy to neglect quality time with your loved ones – particularly our partners. It’s easy to fall into the trap of skimming your emails while you’re watching TV together or get snappy about the other not pulling their weight. Spending quality time together with no time restrictions is an easy way to reignite the spark with your partner or alternatively spend some quality time with your friends and family.