A long weekend is a great alternative to an entire week off from work. From boosting your productivity to bettering your health, this is why long weekends are good for you.
Relieve Stress
First, they allow you to relieve stored up stress. When you are less stressed, you become more productive… at home and at work. Allow your mind and brain time off from work. It will allow it to reboot. Unfortunately, many Americans stress out just thinking about taking a long vacation. This is one of the main reasons a three-day vacation is a less stressful and healthy alternative.
Cornerstone surveyed a 1,000 American workplace employees. They found that 87% of workers believe that three-day weekends are actually better for stress relief than longer vacations. It is believed that with a three-day weekend, workers find they can relax more without worrying as much about what is awaiting them back at the office. The study also states, “workers who take long vacations not only reported working longer hours upon returning to work, but they also became more stressed than they were before their break. About two-thirds of respondents also noticed more work for co-workers that were forced to pick up the slack”.
If you are taking a long weekend, it might just be one day of missed work. This makes it easier to plan for that one day off. And it’s also less strain on your co-workers. Win-win for everyone!
Go Exploring
Secondly, long weekends provide a chance to learn more about your city or one close by. If you are a history buff, learn more about the history of your town. Go on tours, schedule some museum or gallery time. Look at your town through the eyes of a tourist. You will probably uncover something new.
Know everything about your town? Draw a two and a half to three and a half hour drive radius around it and discover a new town. If you love the water and/or beach, the Delaware coast is just 2.5 to 3 hours from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia Beach and Washington, DC.
Invite a Friend
Lastly, taking a long weekend and inviting friends allows a chance to reconnect. And by socializing, you can enjoy better mental and physical health. In this Health Benefits of Socializing article on Psychology Today it states that, “…social engagement is associated with a stronger immune system, especially for older adults. This means that you are better able to fight off colds, the flu, and even some types of cancer“.
Be Happier and Enjoy More
The Health Benefits of Socializing article mentions, “interacting with others boosts feelings of well-being and decreases feelings of depression. Research has shown that one sure way of improving your mood is to work on building social connections”. If you are already planning a long weekend vacation or just exploring your home town, consider inviting a friend.
Have you gotten away for a long weekend recently? Comment below and tell us about the positive affects it has had on you.
