The holidays are here, a time to share with family and friends, practice our hobbies and charge the batteries for work. This period of rest is fundamental for health and performance: the more and better rest better performance.

 

They emerge on June 7, 1936 when the French government of the Front Populaire, led by Leon Blum, signed social rights of the working class “Matignon Agreements“:
• Trade union rights
• 40-hour work day
• First paid holidays

The Popular Front of France, was a coalition of parties of left formed in 1935 and that governed until 1938.
At the beginning there were two weeks, in the 60s “tourism” was extended, reaching 850 million in 2006.
The law establishes that it will be set by common agreement between employer and employee, in accordance with the provisions of collective agreements

 
They have “vacations” a beneficial effect on health: they usually arrive renewed, healthy and with a lot of energy; after enjoying with family and leisure. We recharge our battery of “emotional energy”:

• Body sensations
• Cognitive
• Emotions

With which we are responding to the constant stimuli that come to us every day.

 

 

Robert E. Thayer establishes in his work “The Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal“, a relationship between energy and tension, establishes the relationship between circadian rhythms, exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and cognition.

Four types of basic energy states:
• Tense energy
• Peaceful energy
• Tense tiredness
• Calm tiredness
The healthiest is: calm energy and quiet tiredness

 

 

Jessica de Bloom, a psychology researcher at the Radboud University in the Netherlands, did a study with employees, before, during and several weeks after the holidays, controlling 5 “control” indicators; “Holiday travel, staycations, and subjective wellbeing”
• Health condition
• Mood
• Stress
• Power level
• Satisfaction

After the first week the effect begins to disappear, and after two weeks we feel tired as before. However establishes that it is more beneficial holidays for the worker to stay at home, returned renewed.

 

Christian Jarrett, of the British Psychological Society, in his book “The Rough Guide to Psychology” establishes some tips reflecting on the “vacations”:

 

• Have more breaks during the year, even if they are shorter, better than a long one, after 10 days the effects are similar.
• Take advantage of weekends
• Keep activities that have been rewarding for us during the holidays the rest of the year: reading, painting, listening to music, being with friends, having breakfast with family
• Have realistic expectations with vacations and be flexible
• Being a few days after finished at home to adapt
• Exercise, eat healthy, sleep well and disconnect from the clock and computer

 
Bibliography:

 

• Thayer R.E.; “The Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal”. New York: Oxford University Press; 1989

 

• Jessica de Bloom; “Holiday travel, staycations, and subjective wellbeing. Radboud University”. ; 2017

 

• Christian Jarrett; “The Rough Guide to Psycology”; APA Publications, Rough Guides; 2011