The Surprising Health Benefits of a Mini Break

Your next holiday can’t come fast enough…

Sure, holidays can be fun – what’s not to love about breaking out your holiday outfits – but did you know they actually have some serious health benefits as well? Don’t worry if you can’t afford a month-long extravaganza, psychologist Gemma Gribb, believes your holiday doesn’t have to be long to be effective.

“Essentially,” she explains, “if you can train yourself to "switch off" you can learn to quickly get into a relaxed state of mind making your mini-break just as rejuvenating as a longer holiday.”

Not convinced yet? Here are five ways that a mini break can boost your mental and physical health almost instantly:

Image via @thelayoverlife_

It can calm the mind
“Having a holiday can help pull you out of unhelpful thinking and rumination,” Cribb explains, “as the novelty helps draw your attention away from everything that is going on in your head.” She advises turning your phone off and taking it easy on the alcohol to get the most benefits.

You’ll have better sex
A US study found that a whopping 77% of couples who travelled together experienced more romance, better sex and more ‘relationship satisfaction’. Single? Even better. Hello, holiday micro-romance…

Your sleep will improve
“Having a break away from the stressors of day-to-day living and allowing yourself to relax can reduce the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline,” explains Cribbs. She says that this can make us feel less tense and irritable, meaning we sleep better. Bonus!

It can improve your immunity
Studies have found that a mini-break can actually boost our immunity as well, preventing conditions such as chronic inflammation, and related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high-blood pressure. There really is no excuse not to take an extra day or two off this weekend, right?