Science Links Longer Vacations and Exercise to Better Rest and Recovery

The question of how long a vacation should last is not a new one. In 1910, U.S. president William Taft argued that two or three months off were necessary, saying that after the "hard and nervous strain" of the working seasons, those months of rest were needed "in order to enable one to continue his work the next year with that energy and effectiveness which it ought to have." His words prompted a debate in The New York Times, and more than a century on, the question remains unresolved — though science has steadily advanced understanding of what a vacation needs to look like to deliver genuine recovery.

Specialists point to several consistent findings: longer breaks produce greater well-being, physical activity amplifies those benefits, and healthy sleep and eating routines matter. Above all, mentally switching off from work appears to be a central factor. Vacations are associated with higher life satisfaction, better mood, and lower post-vacation exhaustion. A meta-analysis cautions that sustained work over several months without breaks "may lead to insufficient recovery and an accumulation of stress, which can result in more serious physical health problems (cardiovascular disease) and mental health problems (depression, burnout)."

Lasting benefits and optimal length

That meta-analysis, published last year by researchers at the University of Georgia, found that taking a vacation produces a significant improvement in well-being. While the positive effects can diminish after returning to work, they remain at higher levels than before the vacation started. The average vacation length in the study was 12 days, though lead author Ryan D. Grant is careful to note this "should not be interpreted as an optimal duration." His team did conclude, however, that "longer vacations provide greater benefits for well-being, although the transition back to work can also be more difficult."

Xavier Montero, a member of the Work and Organizational Psychology Section of the Official College of Psychology of Catalonia, takes a different view, arguing that 10 days are sufficient to recharge and favouring the spreading of vacation time across the year rather than taking it all at once. "At the European level, there is a habit of redistributing vacation time: seven to 10 days is good, better than a whole month," he says. Concentrating leave, he argues, risks producing boredom and "anxiety from thinking that you are wasting your vacation time."

The importance of disconnecting from work

Regardless of duration, experts agree on the importance of psychological detachment — that is, not answering emails, not taking work calls, and not thinking about work at all. "We go on a vacation after a period exposed to stressors and we need to slow down. Otherwise, it becomes easier to ruminate about work and stay connected to day-to-day problems," says Arturo Lecumberri, a clinical psychologist at the University of Navarra Clinic.

Grant's study found that mental disconnection from work was "positively associated with well-being both during the vacation and after returning to work." He encourages people "to do everything possible to mentally disconnect from work as soon as they can," specifying that this means avoiding email, Teams messages, and work-related texts. "Unlike an afternoon or a short break, a longer period away from home can allow for a deeper and more lasting disconnection," he says.

A researcher at the University of Groningen who has spent decades studying vacation effects, Jessica De Bloom, sent an automatic email reply noting that she had chosen not to work during her own vacation because "research shows that mental disconnection is crucial for health and well-being," and that "vacations and psychological distance from work can, in fact, improve mental flexibility." Grant adds a practical tip: activating an out-of-office message and disabling email notifications reduces the temptation to check in. He also stresses that colleagues must respect this boundary: "It is essential to establish a culture in which colleagues on vacation are not disturbed by electronic communications."

Physical activity, routines and open questions

De Bloom's reply included a link to a 2021 study emphasising the importance of activities that promote relaxation and pleasure during time off. The University of Georgia meta-analysis found that physical activity had the strongest relationship with well-being among the activities examined, while social activities showed a moderately positive correlation. Sports and exercise, the authors argue, offer particularly restorative physiological and emotional benefits even in a vacation context.

Lecumberri recommends maintaining routines even while on holiday: "Having good sleep habits, improving diet… It's also a good time to nurture social relationships you've lost touch with. It is beneficial to exercise, lead an active life, and reduce the overall stimulation load, for example by cutting back on technology use and immersing yourself in a good book."

Several questions remain open. Whether it is better to holiday at home, travel, or combine both has not been definitively settled. A De Bloom study found that leisure travel can boost creativity by relieving stress, providing varied experiences, and increasing positive emotions. The U.S. meta-analysis also suggested that travelling away from home may be more beneficial than staying in, though Grant acknowledges there is limited research on the topic and that planning a trip away can itself be stressful. Lecumberri raises a further issue: after prolonged exposure to workplace stressors, the drop in daily demands during a vacation can allow previously suppressed symptoms such as apathy or irritability to surface.

Gradual transitions in and out of holiday

Montero emphasises that "planning is very important" to make both entering and leaving vacation a gradual process. Lecumberri agrees: "Our emotional system tends toward homeostasis and struggles with change. So when change is needed, it is always better to do it gradually rather than abruptly." Grant recommends leaving "a buffer of one or two days between the end of vacation and the return to work to avoid the sharp drop in well-being associated with prolonged vacations once back on the job."

His broader advice for returning to work is measured: "Don't expect to reply to all pending emails upon your return. Instead, review some, but take it easy and accept that you need time to get back into the rhythm."