Everyone wants to take vacations for obvious reasons like getting away from a toxic work environment, exploring a foreign land, and having the chance to relax without a care in the world. But did you know that going on a holiday also reaps benefits that you might not know about? Not only will you come back, feeling more refreshed, but it will also make you happier, healthier, and more productive.

If you’re hesitating to request for your hard-earned paid time off (PTO), here are some hidden benefits of vacation to convince you to hit send:

You get to spread good vibes

Studies show that the happiness you get from vacation can be contagious. When you bring back good vibes from a getaway, you tend to spread it to the people around you, boosting everyone’s moods. This phenomenon is referred to as the “viral happiness pandemic,” and it’s not only beneficial to you, but to your friends, family, and colleagues, as well.

It can reduce your risk of a heart attack

If you take a vacation and use it as a time to de-stress and recharge, you can lower the risk of a heart attack. Bryce Hruska, an assistant professor of public health at Syracuse University’s Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, posits that “people who vacation more frequently in the past 12 months have a lowered risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms.” There’s also the statistics that showed that taking time off reduces the risk of heart attack by 30 percent for men and 50 percent for women.

It can help boost the economy

When you take a vacation, you’re also advertently helping boost the economy. These days, vacation time is offered to 80 percent of full-time employees, but not everyone uses them. Now, if Americans decide to take the PTO they’re entitled to, it would result in a boom of an additional 580 million more days of travel per annum. That makes way for a whopping $160 billion boost to the economy.

Vacation time makes you more productive

When taking time off, you have the responsibility of delegating your job to someone else. That means you will have to document your current process so the person who’s going to pick up the slack can do the heavy lifting while you’re away. In doing so, you’ll be able to pick up on the gaps that you’re lacking and the processes that need fine-tuning. When you get back, you’ll have the chance to improve upon them, thereby improving your entire workflow.

Your chances of getting a raise will improve

There’s enough empirical evidence that reveals that taking vacation time results in better scores at end-of-the-year performance reviews. This is because when you take time off work, you come back feeling refreshed and more motivated, and you end up doing your job better—by 10 percent, precisely speaking. As opposed to people who refuse to take time off, vacationers also tend to be happier and more willing to stick with the company for the long haul.

Conclusion

If you’re entitled to a vacation, don’t hesitate to use it to relax. You can reap all the benefits we’ve mentioned here, along with many more you might not realize until you’ve taken time off. If you’re looking for a luxury resort in Koh Samui, get in touch with us today to book your stay!