Vaca­tions are good for you. Really.

The summer solstice is here. June 21 marked the longest day of the year, offering almost 17 hours of sunlight. It also marks the "official" start of summer. The kids are out of school and into the pool. Aunt Eunice is bringing her famous potato salad to the family reunion cookout. Fresh local produce is abundant at local farmers' markets. There are fun festivals every weekend.

And now ... it is time to talk about your summertime vacation.

Research suggests that leisure is an important predictor of our well-being and satisfaction with life, including our health, work engagement, and creativity, according to Emma Seppala, Ph.D. She is the author of The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success.

In a Psychology Today article, Seppala explains that a resort vacation not only makes us feel more energetic and less stressed than we were before we took the vacation, it also leads to a strong and immediate impact on molecular networks associated with stress and immune function.

Mounting research also suggests that Americans have difficulty "unplugging" from work and suffer from burnout more than their European counterparts. Being able to disengage for a few days - or a week - is important if we want to recharge and renew ourselves. It gives us the resiliency we need when we come back to work.

Vacations do not have to be fancy. Even a "staycation" has its benefits. It can help our health and our creativity - without straining our pocketbooks. Brain imaging studies show that doing "nothing" (being idle, daydreaming, relaxing) creates more alpha waves in the brain that are key to creative insights and innovative breakthroughs.

As you continue to juggle work responsibilities and summertime activities, please be sure to take some time to rest, relax, renew and recharge. Vacations are good for you!

Sincerely,

Penney Burlingame Deal, DHA
President & Chief Executive Officer