CHAMBER NEWS & VIEWS
Vacations matter. Not because you’ll bring home a ton of pictures nobody but you really cares to see. Not because your Facebook friends will be jealous. Turns out, vacations are not a luxury; they’re a necessity for a healthy life. They’re just as important as eating well and getting exercise.
Vacations are credited with helping to prevent heart disease. That’s because stress is one of the major contributors to both heart disease and high blood pressure. And where do you get a lot of that stress? Work, of course. Studies show that men and women who vacationed regularly were less likely to die from a heart attack. The American Psychological Association concluded that vacations work for reducing stress since they remove you from the activities and environments we associate with stress and anxiety.
Research has shown vacations actually add to our productivity up to five weeks after we return home with those pictures no one wants to see. Ernst & Young, a professional services firm, conducted a study of its employees and found that for each additional 10 hours of vacation time employees took, their year-end performance reviews improved 8 percent. What’s more, frequent vacationers were much less likely to leave the firm. Research done by the Boston Consulting Group found that high level professionals who were required to take time off were more productive overall.
You might be wondering why the chamber is so concerned about your vacation plans. It’s because we have a way to help out. We can get that productivity back and get your blood pressure down. How? Take a look in the chamber membership directory — either the printed book or online. Under “T” there is a great category called “Travel, Tourism and Recreation.” We have some members who would be happy to help you. They’re all willing and able to sit down to match you up with that prefect getaway from your stressful life!
But you’re too busy, right? Got too much on your plate. Just get over it and get planning. Let our chamber members make you heart-healthy and happy! And I will take a look at those pictures when you get home.
Lynne Conlan is Executive Director of the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce. Call her at 813-634-5111, or email lynne@sccchamber.com.