Vacations are not just fun, but good for your health!

Summer vacations are not just a break from daily grind but they are good for your health.

Not that I would have loved them less if they were not! I would have taken them equal zest. Sorry about posting almost 3 months late. The grind of AP exams and summer camp just got to me. And finally, I am looking forward to a much-awaited vacation with family and cousins. Even without doing scientific research, I can tell you the very thought of going on vacation makes me happy, it makes me forget about all the hard work I did and the schools opening on July 31st this year (yikes!). And when I am back from vacation it's like my brain is recharged or rebooted and I am ready for whatever comes next!

A number of studies have shown that taking a vacation( a break from your daily work routine) has both physical and psychological health benefits. People sleep better on vacation ( I love the sound of the ocean and its the best sleep I get away from home!), partly because our mind is not racing to do multiple tasks and partly because of change in environment can be soothing to our nerves. Vacation with your loved ones can reduce stress and reduce risk of heart attacks (now my mom would say otherwise about family vacations! lol but I enjoy the family drama too!). And of course the cliched stress reduction, but it's true, won't you agree?

What I didn't know was that vacations can reset your gene expression too! Now I would love to participate in a study like this where my vacation is paid for!

A research team examined the changes in 20,000 genes to determine which types of genes were changing before and after a vacation experience using integrative transcriptomic analysis, comparing gene expression networks and finding unique molecular profiles and pathway enrichment patterns. Study results showed significant changes in molecular network patterns after the week at the resort, with a clear signature distinguishing baseline from post-vacation biology in genes related to stress response and immune function.

So next time you are chilling on your vacation, remember it is changing you deeply!

Bibliography:

1. E S Epel, E Puterman, J Lin, E H Blackburn, P Y Lum, N D Beckmann, J Zhu, E Lee, A Gilbert, R A Rissman, R E Tanzi, E E Schadt. Meditation and vacation effects have an impact on disease-associated molecular phenotypes. Translational Psychiatry, 2016; 6 (8): e880 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.164

2. Gump, B. B., & Matthews, K. A. (2000). Are vacations good for your health? The 9-year mortality experience after the multiple risk factor intervention trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62 (5), 608-612.

3. Fritz, C., & Sonnentag, S. (2006). Recovery, well-being, and performance-related outcomes: the role of workload and vacation experiences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91 (4), 936.