Lazy Summer Days: Why It’s Healthy to Rest and Recharge
Amy Barczy
| 3 min read
Americans are notorious for being preoccupied with work: on average, half of all American workers don’t use all of their allotted time off, according to a recent survey.
And even when they’re not at work, they’re thinking about work. People respond to emails around-the-clock; and about 25% of millennials and Gen X-ers said they check their emails while on vacation.
Which means they’re missing out on the critical benefits of truly taking a day off to rest. Especially in the summertime, as the sun burns deep into the evening hours – providing the maximum daylight hours for a true vacation day.
The health benefits of enjoying a lazy summer’s day are both obvious and hidden.
The benefits of rest are documented: it allows your body to recharge physically and mentally so that you can perform to your fullest capacity with all of your creative potential. Without rest, the body and mind become tired and unmotivated.
Here are some benefits of taking advantage of a lazy summer’s day that you may have not considered:
- Giving your brain a break. From sunup to sundown, our daily lives are inundated with messages and screens. There’s a lot of information for our brains to constantly process and organize, and the pervasiveness of technology has meant it’s harder to step away from the demands of work or the allure of social media. Doing nothing actually has benefits for your brain, too.
- Getting some sunlight. Put on some sunscreen, grab your sunglasses and a hat and soak in the rays. Take advantage of the natural Vitamin D – safely, of course – and reap the benefits.
- Eating more fruit. Summer brings natural delights of field and farm as fruit ripens. June is strawberry season in the Midwest, and peaches follow soon afterwards. Cherries are peak summer, followed by blueberries in August if you can find them. Not only is seasonal produce fun to experience in the summer, but eating fruit is a fantastic way to stay hydrated and eat the fiber your body needs.
- Drinking more water. Enjoying a warm summer’s day is bound to make you thirsty, as the heat and sun can quickly make you dehydrated. Keeping a water bottle nearby as you enjoy the day can help you drink the recommended eight ounces of water eight times a day. It’s a good habit to carry with you into the rest of your life, as the benefits of drinking enough water are far-reaching from your skin to your digestive system.
- The excitement of planning. The act of planning a vacation day can give your mental health a boost before you even board a plane, forward your mail, hold the newspaper or set your out of office message.
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