Closed For Holidays! The Psychological Need To Rest
Today’s world is very competitive Both in work and personal life you have to be productive, efficient, correct, have high performance, meet deadlines, face difficult situations, make decisions, demonstrate proactivity, renew yourself, continually update yourself…
All of this induces a state of stress that, although initially drives and motivates us to remain attentive and give the best of ourselves, if continuously maintained it leads to a decrease in motivation, performance and enjoyment of work activity that even induces some disorder such as burnout, anxiety disorders or depressive symptoms.
In order to avoid this, regardless of other considerations, advice and the application of relaxation techniques such as breathing, it is necessary to have periods of rest in which to relax both physically and psychologically and disconnect from everyday problems. That is, a vacation is necessary
During this period of rest, it is very useful to carry out recovery activities such as relaxation so that the individual can abstract and rest from the stressors they have in their usual life.
Understood as a reward for the effort made, vacations are an element that reinforces self-esteem and self-concept, in addition to preventing the appearance of stress and other disorders. This is a period in which we can do activities that we find pleasurable and for which there is normally no opportunity, temporarily leaving behind the responsibilities associated with the position, role or personal and social status.
Beneficial effects of rest
The fact of enjoying a vacation correctly has a large number of benefits. Firstly, in relation to the aforementioned stress, the vacation period helps to relax, repairing the body from damage caused by increased cortisol and anxiety
Likewise, a good rest produces a notable increase in creativity, which can lead to the formation of new strategies and ideas that would not arise in a stressful environment. This is because during periods of rest the brain is not inactive, but only stops focusing on certain stimulation, activating many other areas of the psyche that are usually left aside.
In this sense, The mental unblocking that rest produces causes an improvement in the capacity for judgment and decision enabling the complete analysis of the available information and subsequent decision making.
In addition, rest produces an increase in productivity and concentration, by reducing intellectual blockage and the mental and physical slowdown typical of a continuous situation of stress. The reaction latency to stimuli decreases, increasing performance and efficiency both during the recreational period and when returning to work.
Finally, rest causes the release of endorphins and the activation of neural reward circuits, stimulating the presence of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. All of this produces a reduction in anxiety and negative thinking patterns. In conclusion, vacations are a way that provokes happiness in those who are able to enjoy the vacation rest period.
Things to avoid that diminish the restorative effect of vacations
It is necessary to keep in mind that the simple fact of having vacations is not in itself restorative, but rest comes from changing activities and ways of thinking compared to the usual situation. In this way, not everything goes, but some elements that make it difficult to truly enjoy the vacation period should be taken into account.
In this sense, a common problem when there are vacations, especially if they are of short duration, is excessive scheduling. There is often a tendency to make extensive lists of things to do or visit. It is worth keeping in mind that more quantity does not equal more quality, since saturating the available time can cause even more stress.
Bedtime is also a common problem. It is common to see how individuals tend to go to bed according to a stipulated schedule in order to take advantage of the time. Once again, it must be remembered that the final objective is to rest and enjoy
Another problem to avoid is the creation of a routine B (A being the daily routine). In this sense, the need to do things that are out of the ordinary, that do not involve a constant repetition of the same patterns present in everyday life, must be valued.
Although the period of leisure that vacations represent must be enjoyed to the fullest, we must not forget the need to take into account the economic aspect. Unforeseen events are likely to arise. Likewise, enjoyment must be carried out without falling into excesses, since a complete lack of control can cause health, economic and/or relational problems.
Recommendations to improve the quality of your vacation
We have talked about some elements to avoid so that the mental regeneration produced by vacation rest is not clouded. Let’s see now some basic recommendations to improve the latter
1. The good thing about improvisation
Among all the recommendations, the main one is to have great flexibility. As has already been said, the vacation period is full of possible unforeseen events, and no matter how well planned it is, the needs of individuals can change. Being able to improvise and adapt to desires and possibilities is essential for an optimal enjoyment experience
A second essential element is the fact of completely disconnecting from the normal routine That is to say, it is necessary that before starting the vacation period everything is prepared so that the usual responsibilities do not interrupt (unless necessary) the rest.
3. Dare
Another important element is to dare to do new things as it allows the acquisition of new points of view that can bring great changes to our lives, increasing our creativity.
4. Prevent conflicts
One more consideration that should be taken into account for those whose vacations are carried out in company is the recommendation to choose the activities to be carried out collaboratively. This strengthens the bond between subjects, also providing different perspectives that can help find better options for everyone.
Starting over: re-entry
The holiday rest period has an end Keeping this fact in mind and facing it can mean the difference between returning to daily life with energy and optimism and entering a state of dejection when faced with the return of obligations, popularly known as post-vacation syndrome.
In this sense A progressive return must be sought to re-adapt to daily life, returning home a few days before, for example, adjusting circadian rhythms to the usual schedule and in some cases, encouraging companies to allow progressive re-entry. Likewise, when starting the vacation it is important not to obsess over the time left until it ends, but to plan to take into account that you are going to return in a specific period.
