The science of why vacations are good for your brain

You have spent the past few days on a cloud over your forthcoming, well-deserved holidays, and will go back to daydreaming about them as soon as you finish this article. And the truth is that the benefits of a good holiday can be felt even before the trip begins. Scientific studies show that merely looking forward to a future reward can be even more rewarding than the reward itself. This is so thanks to a small molecule called dopamine, which we will talk about later.

But, before we continue, let’s think about a few questions. Are holidays really necessary? Why do we need them? And, above all, what are the benefits of a few idle days?

Rest increases cognitive flexibility

Although this may seem unbelievable, there is very little scientific literature that explores the direct benefits of holidays on our brain. What does seem indisputable is that they are essential. This was concluded by a 2016 study in which 46 workers from a Dutch company participated.

The workers were asked to undergo a test in which they were given objects (for example, a hammer) and asked for the greatest number of uses for their objects in the shortest possible time (construction tool, weapon, paperweight, etc.). What the researchers observed is that, after...

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