Experts finally explain the burning question: How much vacation time do you need to truly relax?

Vacation is not an employee's whim. It is an investment in our health. Both physical and mental. Check how much time off you need to really feel the difference.

As a father of two energetic and quite loud boys, I don’t think vacations are always a time for rest and relaxation. Sometimes I relax more while working while they’re at preschool. So the question arises: Do we really need vacations? The answer is: Yes, and for many reasons. The experts are clear: Vacations are a necessity for our mental and physical health.

It has long been said that a change of scenery, a break from work and daily duties has a beneficial effect on our well-being . It turns out, however, that the effects of a vacation are even more direct than we thought.

Illustrative photo / photo: Unsplash, David Emrich

According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology , people who regularly take a vacation—at least once a year, for several years in a row—can count on some really tangible benefits. For example? A whopping 20 percent increase in life expectancy and a 30 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease. Not bad, huh?

It may seem like an exaggeration to you, but experts claim that vacations help us lower blood pressure , blood sugar levels , and maintain healthy cholesterol levels . Additionally, research conducted by Brooks B. Gump from Syracuse University shows that vacations reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome , a set of factors that increase the risk of heart attack , stroke , or type 2 diabetes , by as much as 25 percent.

“Vacations act as a buffer against chronic stress and inflammation, both of which wreak havoc on the body,” Gump says.

And no, you don't have to fly to the most luxurious resorts for two weeks to make it work. Even a few days in a new place makes a difference, and a short vacation also reduces stress , fatigue and depression .

Scientists add that deep sleep , uninterrupted by the morning alarm clock, also speaks in favor of taking regular holidays.

- I suspect that if someone does not sleep enough at home, sleeping in a new place can be an opportunity to catch up, says Sune Lehmann from the University of Copenhagen, quoted by the New York Post .

It seems like nothing, just take a day off! It turns out that it's not that simple. The magazine cites a study that shows that 58 percent of millennials in the United States can't take a day off without feeling guilty. In the case of Gen Z, it's a little better, but 55 percent also feel guilty. Remember: It's about your health!

Illustrative photo / photo: Unsplash, Jeremy Alford