As a working woman, there is more pressure put on us to do better and to match our male counterparts. This means that we really have to up our game and to compete. Expectations of us are high and in many cases we are still expected to hold down a job, and also to take care of families. We are happy to carry the torch for this, but sometimes it takes its toll on our mental and physical health. It’s great to be performing at the top of our games, but if it has a negative impact on our health and lifestyle, then maybe we need to take a step back and set aside some quality time for ourselves. Working 5 to 6 days a week from nine in the morning until late in the evening can only be done for so long, before our bodies tell us that it’s too much and that we need to take a break.
This is when we have to put in some time off for a well deserved vacation and to treat ourselves to something extraordinary like a Simpson yacht charter. The health benefits of taking a vacation are many, and taking some time off helps to reduce our stress levels, reduces the incidence of heart disease, provides us with a better outlook on life and gives us more motivation to do better when we return from our vacation. To understand the mental health benefits of taking some much needed time off, the following should help you to have a clearer picture.
- An improvement on our physical health – Working in a high pressure job can lead to high stress levels, and from high stress comes heart disease and high blood pressure. It is important that we set aside some time for ourselves, and to take the vacation days that we are fully entitled to take. It is important that you take yourself away to somewhere different, and just sit back and close off your mind to what is happening at work. Only then can you properly de-stress, and get yourself ready to hit the ground running when you do return to work.
- Improved mental health – Pressure at work helps to expose us to the stress hormone cortisol, which can be a major factor to increased anxiety and depression. You need to take time away from work and preferably on a completely different continent so you can’t be tempted to pop into the office for a moment. If you’re on the other side of the world, then there is more chance that you will switch off to the pressures of work and just sit back and enjoy a cold cocktail on a sandy beach. To learn more about mental health, have a look here.
Your health is everything and without it, you can’t continue to be successful in your current position. Your boss wants you to be strong both physically and mentally, and you can’t be both of these things if you’re constantly stressed out and worrying about your job. Take a step back and take some time away from work.
