VACATIONS
Vacations are not luxuries; they are necessities. From the
viewpoint of big business, the chairman of the board of a major corporation not
long ago remarked: "We regard the rest period as a vital component of a year's
total work situation, and I constantly remind our people that they II t' not
scoring points with the corporation by refusing to take their valuations.
Physicians
have observed that non-vacation-takers often are plagued by poor mental and
physical health, family conflict, and inefficient work performance. A
consultant in psychiatry and neurology at one of the largest corporations in
the country recently reported that "Between 85 and 90 percent of the
problems that psychiatrists see at work are the results of off-the-job troubles,
and many of these could at least be lessened by more frequent recreation and
regular vacations."
For both man and woman, a proper vacation is important for
both physical and mental health. And the essence of a proper vacation, at least
for most people, is a complete change from the usual routine. It is possible to
stay home and have vacation-doing things in the garden, the workshop, and the
library, going to ball games, golf links, theater, and beach.
This can save
money and avoid some of the frustrations and disappointments sometimes involved
in going away. But generally you can have a better and more rewarding time by
going away; a complete change of scene and of people usually helps to improve
morale. Should a family vacation together or separately? There is no hard-and-Last
rule.
If tastes differ markedly, the family that is together all
year long may well profit most by taking separate vacations. When tastes are
much the same, the joint vacation may be more enjoyable. And there are families
who enjoy vacations on the basis of compromise, doing this year what one member
enjoys most, next year what another does.
There are no clear-cut guidelines for
how long a vacation should last. For some people, a two to four-week vacation
once a year works well. More and more now, there is a trend toward dividing up
vacation periods find taking two or more vacations a year. This, too, has its
advantages on many people.
