Yeah, summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean vacation planning for the fall/winter or even next summer has to stop. And thanks to a recent study, you now have the opportunity to book a trip for the ideal length of time to get maximum benefits out of it (at least according to science ;)
A team of Finnish researchers, led by organizational and work psychologist Jessica de Bloom, conducted a study to see if they could determine how long someone needs to go on vacation to feel the most relaxed and come back the most refreshed and creative.
That length of time was determined to be eight days. The ideal vacation length was uncovered by following 54 people through their various vacation highs and lows of planning, enjoying and returning, and asking quick questions about those experiences to assess their well-being throughout.
That questionnaire assessment took a look at how well people slept, how healthy they felt and what their energy and mood levels looked like for three different travel groups: a short, two to three-day break; an eight-to-ten-day vacation and a longer, three-week journey. Through those questions it was determined that a majority of people’s positive feelings peaked at day eight, then declined afterward as if they were ready to get back to work. You gotta head back sometime, right?
“It could be that eight days is the ideal to fully gain the benefits of a holiday,” said Jessica de Bloom. Whether you believe eight is the magic vacation number or not, a trip that length would definitely lead to booking flights in the middle of the week, which would wind up making your travel plans cheaper, and that surely is a win.
What is your ideal vacation length? Let us know in the comments.
(h/t Inc)