Relaxation
Danny Lane
America suffers from the fastest pace of life in the world. A full "66% of affluent adults in the US… say they feel stress at least several times a week" (RoperASW) verses only "35% in Brazil" (RoperASW) and "31% in Hong Kong"(RoperASW ). This fast-paced lifestyle has come to define the American way of life. However, most people choose to escape from the monotony of the no stops American way of life through one glorified outlet: the Vacation . Their primary motivation for these trips is the belief that vacationers will be able to relax and escape from the real world. From the sunny beaches of Hawaii to the alpine, frosty heights of Whistler people converge for time away from the grind.
But what is a vacation really? Physically, it's just a series of places and sights where one can do any number of events or do nothing at all (the latter is preferred by the majority of vacationers, excluding children). Interestingly enough, however, a vacation is much more than its physical characteristics. It, to the average American, is an ideal. A person must have money to take the required time away from work to just relax. The better off people the longer and more beautiful places they can explore while away from their "Home."
Some longer, more affluent vacations can even take the riches of a king, such as a pleasure cruise on a sail boat or weeks city hopping around Europe accented with fine dining. However, a vacation can also be extremely short and inexpensive. A trip to the beach or a weekend hiking can give a person all they need to leave a stressful situation behind.
Vacations may even be necessary to keep healthy with "some studies claim more than 80 percent of physician office visits are associated with unresolved stress issues."(Lane) Vacationing helps to reduce the stress that can build up in everyday life and can help lead to improved life style and living conditions.
However, in a country where money is a god, the price for the needed rest and relaxation of a vacation can just be too high. Either people don't take the needed time off work or they take their work with them to their "relaxation destination." Americans don't take their days off or check into work every day while on vacation via email. This is disturbing because a correlation exists between the lack of rest time and the average happiness rate.
The damaging effects of not enjoying some leave can be more than physical but can also affect emotional well-being. The normal positives of a trip away are revoked and a person's view can become narrowed. The beauty of the world beyond work can be lost and life boils down to the routine of work towards the acquisition of money. Also, never leaving the immediate area can make the rest of the world and its issues seem surreal and immaterial.
Vacationing gives a perspective on the world that is not just objective. There is a beauty to seeing the sights and realizing just how small an individual's part is in the world. The rejuvenating effects of a vacation are its main purpose but the glimpse of the greater world is what really lies beyond the façade of a simple trip. The vacation is essential in the breakneck lives that defines American society and so cannot be discarded no matter the economic times.
Works Cited
"Affluent in the U.S., Australia and Japan Have the Highest Stress in the World; Brazil and Hong Kong, the Lowest." Home3.americanexpress.com. American Express, 20 Nov. 2003. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. American Express Article.
Lane, Beth. "Effects of Stress On Your Health: Reducing Stress Can Improve Chronic Pain Issues." Relaxation & Stress Reduction. 28 Feb. 2007. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. Effects of Stress on Your Health.
Silicon Valley Blogger. "Money Vs Time Off: Why We Don't Take Vacations." A Money Blog: Personal Finance and Business in Silicon Valley. June Tree, 16 Oct. 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. Money vs. Time Off.
"Washington QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." State and County QuickFacts. US Government, 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. Washington QuickFacts.
Xu, Kaili. "Workaholic Americans Don't Take Time Off: Vacation Improves Performances." Workplace Culture. 17 June 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. Workaholic Americans Don't Take Time Off.