Winter is upon us but fear not winter in the Western Cape is never boring. Slow and relaxed maybe but never boring.

Here in Gordon’s Bay there are many activities to do and places to see. The rainy season brings a wonderous change to the landscape and you have never seen so many different shades of green in one place. Arum Lilies grow wild on the side of the road and the area is teaming with an abundance of unique and diverse life.

Being located at the heart of the Western Cape you are also within 50kms of the very best the Cape has to offer. You can take a day trip in any direction and be amazed and inspired. Come back to Gordon’s Bay and kick up your feet and relax in our idyllic seaside village setting. Put your  feet up in front of a warm fire and soak up the last rays of the day while mother nature paints the sky at sun down. We want you to have peace of mind in our piece of heaven. The winter months are our best kept secret in and in some ways the best time to visit us.

Everything slows down and its not the usual frenetic holiday pace. You can explore and truly relax and rejuvenate mind, body and spirit.

Take a look at this video to give you a good idea of what to expect and if we cant convince you please read the article below from LinkedIn professional Melanie Moffatt, explaining why a winter break is so essential for your well being. We hear it can even help you get that next promotion…

Do you need some Vitamin Sea?

Why holidays are good for your health and your career.

Need a break? Going on vacation could be a great career move and improve your wellbeing.

Are you daydreaming about your next holiday? Do you wish you had sand between your toes instead of a keyboard under your fingertips? Booking your next holiday could be the perfect antidote to workday blues. Studies show that holidays reduce the risk of heart disease and lower stress. Vacationers also report being happier at work and home. Going on holidays could even get you promoted. Employees who take regular vacation leave have a 65.4% increased chance of getting a raise or bonus. While you may not need a research paper to convince you to sip cocktails (or mocktails) by the pool, you may need a nudge to book your next trip. Data from the Roy Morgan 2021 Report shows Australian paid workers have over 185 million days of unused annual leave.

Excess baggage

With so many benefits associated with travelling, why aren’t more Australians booking their next holiday? The increased cost of post-pandemic travel and rising living costs may play a role. Travel confidence is still recovering for international trips due to COVID-19. Another reason may be closer to home, with employees feeling too busy to go on leave. The 2022 ELMO (Employee Sentiment Index) highlighted risk factors associated with staff burnout. Increased role responsibility was experienced by 24% of workers. Employees also experienced feeling overwhelmed by their workload. As a result, employees may find it hard to switch off when on holiday or feel obligated to check emails while away.

It pays to go on leave.

Going on holidays isn’t the solution to poor job design and resourcing demands. However, climbing that mountain on holidays could actually help you climb the career ladder when you get back. A 2017 study of 3000 Canadian workers reported positive outcomes for holiday goers. Taking holiday leave improved work-life balance, happiness and life satisfaction. Employees returned feeling more energised and creative. Prioritising time to step away from work can also help you achieve more when you return. Productivity increased by 40% for employees who took annual leave. Vacationers were found to be less irritable, less forgetful and took 28% less sick leave. These insights reinforce the importance of rest and relaxation to improve performance.

 I heart holidays

Your heart might thank you for that holiday too. A nine-year study in Psychosomatic Medicine followed over 12,000 middle-aged men at high risk of heart disease. It found that the men who took yearly breaks were less likely to die from any cause. The group also had a reduced risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues.

In comparison, a recent study by the World Health Organization highlighted the risks of not taking leave. “Working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke.” The findings also showed a “17% higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to a work week of 35 to 40 hours.”

A holiday for the mind

Travel can launch us into new experiences, cultures, cuisines and communities. Unique experiences rewire the brain, building new neural pathways, also known as neuroplasticity. Lead researcher Dr Wen from Edith Cowan University (ECU) explored the impact of travel. The research sought to understand the benefits of tourism for people with dementia. A new cross-disciplinary paper will unpack how tourism could benefit physical and mental wellbeing.

The findings will be an exciting development linking science and tourism.

Packed with benefits

Still not ready to pack your bags? Don’t worry; even the anticipation of going on holiday can increase happiness. People planning a holiday experienced fewer negative emotions compared to people who didn’t have a vacation to look forward to. If finding the time, funds or approval to go on holiday is challenging, there are multiple ways to take a break. These include:

The long break – A Travel and Leisure report found that 11 to 15 days away is the sweet spot to switch off. Plan a month in advance to avoid last-minute organising stress.

The mirco-cation are shorter trips of 2-4 days. Short holidays could be cost and time effective. Mini getaways also enable you to travel more frequently.

The staycation – an experiment by HBR asked a test group to treat their weekend as a holiday. The second group were to treat the weekend normally.

The “holiday” test group reported higher happiness and life satisfaction scores. The responses were then measured via a survey on Monday. The test group ate breakfast in bed, spent time in nature, or tried a new experience. While this is not viable as a long-term experiment, the study highlights the positive effect of a holiday mindset.

The micro-break – you don’t have to wait for your holiday to take a break. Micro-breaks of ten minutes throughout the day improves mood, wellbeing and job performance. Micro-breaks should be for relaxing, socialising or mentally stimulating activities. Unfortunately, snack breaks don’t count as a micro-break (but I’ll let you be the judge of that!).

Prepare for take-off

Getting caught up in the busyness of work and life during the year is easy. We often only realise we need a holiday once we start to feel exhausted or burnt out. Scheduling regular breaks throughout the year could help you restore, recharge and return healthier and happier.

For a stress-free getaway:

  • Book in advance to snag a cheaper holiday deal.
  • Combine annual leave with a long weekend to maximise time away.
  • Find dates that won’t clash with busy work or personal commitments.
  • Plan ahead with your leader to put support systems in place that help you switch off while on leave and manage your workload.

Planning ahead could help you spend less time behind the computer and more time watching sunsets, camping under starry skies or skiing snow-capped mountains.

It could be what the Doctor (and your boss) ordered.

Written by Melanie Moffatt

Melanie Moffatt is a corporate health and wellbeing specialist, nutritionist and travel lover. She is passionate about delivering human-centric wellbeing solutions to create happier and healthier workplaces.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-holidays-good-your-health-career-melanie-moffatt/