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<\/a>When I asked a friend who just returned from a week at the Jersey Shore how the family trip went, she told me about the laundry it created. I started thinking about whether vacation is really worth it, or not.<\/p>\n
Despite that fact (and we all know that post-vacation mountain of laundry can seem insurmountable), the research shows that vacation is, in fact, a good thing.<\/p>\n
Here are some facts about the positive impact and benefits of taking a vacation.<\/p>\n
– You can reap the benefits before you’ve even packed your bags. Planning a vacation can also be beneficial. WebMD says you can feel a boost in happiness up to 8 weeks before you depart.<\/p>\n
– Although the bickering and whining on a road trip may lead you to think otherwise, researchers at Purdue found that family vacations contribute positively to family bonding, communication and solidarity. Reporting on the study, Psychology Today noted, “Though family vacations can have their own share of stress, the benefits outweigh the risks, even in families that are not particularly close.”<\/p>\n
– One part of that bonding can be learning new things about other family members. 97 percent\u00a0of parents felt their kids got to know new things about them while on a family trip, according to a Disney Time<\/a> survey reported in MedicalDaily.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n – For each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their performance reviews were 8 percent higher during the following year, showed a 2006 study at Ernst & Young<\/a>.<\/p>\n