Christmas movies and songs often tell their audiences that the holidays are best when spent at home. But is that really the case? Studies from Allina Health show that “People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.” Staying home prevents one from fully relaxing. Going on vacation is especially beneficial for Saint Viator students who use Christmas break as an opportunity to unwind before finals.
Although spending time with family over Christmas break is important, vacationing has many health benefits. According to Allina Health, taking a vacation leads to “improved physical health, improved mental health, greater well-being, increased mental motivation, improved family relationships, decreased burnout, and boosted happiness.” When staying home for the two-week break, daily activities and tasks make it easy to get distracted.
On the other hand, vacationing gives a refreshing new atmosphere to distance oneself from their busy life. With Christmas break being right before finals, it is a time of high stress for many students. NHS attests that high amounts of stress “can lead to mental health problems such as depression and entirety. It can also affect your academic performance.”
Because of the correlation between stress and poor academic performance, it is vital for students to relax before the dreaded high-pressure finals week. Staying at home for the entire Christmas break prevents students from distancing themselves from the many things they have to do. Going on vacation- even for just a few days- would be beneficial for students’ stress management before finals.
It is essential to do what brings one joy over Christmas break, but going on vacation is certainly beneficial to the stress management, mental health, and academic performance of Saint Viator students.