President-elect Barack Obama recently created a media stir while vacationing in Hawaii. Photos of the shirtless Obama were all over the Internet with headlines like "Abama" among others -- that focused on his lean and muscled physique.
But what was more interesting to me is a quote about Obama's belief that leaders need to take vacations.
Over the summer, the soon-to-be "Most Powerful Leader of the Free World" visited with David Cameron, the head of the British Conservative Party in London and was overheard talking about how leaders need to take time away to think. Without downtime, Obama said, "you start making mistakes or you lose the big picture."
What?! Wow.
And the health benefits of time away have long been touted ... Vacations are believed to promote creativity, stave off burnout, help with job performance and even strengthen bonds. (Source: The Importance of Vacations, for Stress Relief, Productivity and Health)
While the idea of presidential vacations is hardly new -- (Bush has been to Camp David eight times during his time in office.) why do you think 'regular' Americans reportedly find it so hard to take time off?
And then while on vacation, why do we find it so hard to not check voice mail? Or put down our Blackberries? Have you experienced the benefits of taking time off? If so, what were they? And more importantly, do you think NOT taking time off makes people less healthy?
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I think Obama's pro-vacation perspective is such a healthy one. Americans really need to follow suit, although for some reason we tend to be such a driven bunch. When I lived in the UK, I was amazed at all of the tea breaks that people took during a typical work day. Not to mention the 4-6 week summer vacations. I hope we see more people following Obama's lead and taking more much-needed time off.
December 27, 2008 - 11:13pmThis Comment
I think this is certainly true. The work life can be very stressful and demanding. We certainly live in the technological world and I for one can say that vacations are very refreshing. I love to walk away from the computers, cell phones, work atmosphere and just enjoy myself in nature, talking face to face with a real person and no television. Nothing is better.
I think in general that vacations are a get-away from reality to just learn to enjoy what life has to offer without the stress of everyday life. Breathe of fresh air. Information from the Herald Tribune found from the Framingham Heart Study, which started in 1948, researchers looked at questionnaires women in the study had filled out over 20 years about how often they took vacations. Those women who took a vacation once every six years or less were almost eight times more likely to develop coronary heart disease or have a heart attack than those who took at least two vacations a year, said Elaine Eaker, a co-author of the study and president of Eaker Epidemiology Enterprises, a private research company.
So it may be true, vacations are a healthy way of life. Even the leader of our country should be entitled. He has a lot of work to do for our economic future. A clear mind would be good.
December 27, 2008 - 12:04pmThis Comment