Over on the Live Laugh Denver Blog, there is an article about why vacation should be mandatory for those of us in the working world. It’s a great article, you can read it here.
Here’s my adaptation of that article, geared towards all the single parents out there. Regardless of your situation, whether you are co parenting, have every other week/weekend off, or if you were like me and have your kids full time, here are the top 3 reasons single parents should make vacation mandatory.
Recharge & Reset = Better Parent: The human body needs rest and relaxation to recharge, both physically and mentally. Once you are recharged you are sharper, better energized and can better take care of your children. Studies have found that vacation helps you interrupt bad sleep habits, and we all know the better we sleep, the better we are, and the better and more present we can be for our kids. Studies have also shown high-level professionals, and I would categorize parents as that, who were required to take time off were significantly more productive overall than those who spent more time working, thanks to the reset factor. When you’re more efficient and productive, you feel more accomplished. And the more accomplished you feel, the more you can take on to help your kids!
Fresh Perspective & New Ideas: It is easy to get stuck in a parenting rut, and the day to day parenting, maintaining consistency, being constantly “on” can lead to burn out. Getting out of your usual environment and typical schedule allows your mind to think outside the box, often times allowing you to generate creative solutions for you and your kids and give you a chance to think about what is working in your parenting and what isn’t. Be sure to bring along a notebook so you have a place to jot down during these moments of sporadic brilliance!
Health – Stress Reduction & Heart Disease Prevention (yes, seriously): A small study from the University of Vienna found that after taking time off from work and parenting, vacationers had fewer stress-related physical complaints such as headaches, backaches, and heart irregularities, and they still felt better five weeks later (so, if I am reading that right, I need to be on a 5 week vacation plan!). Additionally, men who skipped vacation for 5 consecutive years were 30% more likely to suffer heart attacks, and women who limited their vacation to just once every six years, were eight times more likely to develop heart related conditions (possibly just correlation.. and likely other lifestyle factors involved, but still).
Whether you are parenting alone or co parenting, we all benefit from and parent better because of taking a vacation. So line up the help, arrange your schedule, find some friends (or go solo!), take that vacation and breathe!