5 Real Reasons You Should Take a Vacation

'Tis the season for warm weather and sunshine, but, surprisingly, not a lot of Americans actually take advantage of that to give themselves a well-deserved break. In fact, Americans (who already receive very little vacation time compared to other countries) forfeit over $50 billion worth of vacation time each year, according to Market Watch. While this means spending more time in the office, and presumably getting more accomplished, a lot of research shows that taking breaks is necessary, not only for your own personal health, but also for your work mentality. Here are five very real reasons you should take a vacation this summer:

1. To Boost Your Creativity
Running a small business requires a great deal of creativity, whether you're designing car magnets for a new marketing campaign or developing products. But unfortunately, that creativity starts to lose its steam after days upon days of working long hours without a break. Studies show that getting outdoors and traveling are two important ways to boost creativity, which means a vacation can have refreshing benefits for your brain, helping you loosen up and think creatively.

2. To Continue Enjoying Your Job
Another reason people just need a break sometimes? Because employees who take vacation time are much more likely to enjoy their work than employees who don't. An Expedia survey revealed that people who take vacations return to work much happier, and are in turn more productive, than those who didn't take a break at all. Multiple studies have shown that vacations simply make people happier in general, even in situations not related to work.

3. For Your Own Health
Whether you're off to lie on a sunny beach and do nothing or explore a city you've never been to before, your vacation will likely have positive effects on your overall health, not just your mental health. Sunshine is an important source of vitamin D, which has a whole slew of health benefits, but simply taking the time to relax away from your normal day-to-day stresses will give you a huge health boost. Letting your body release tension can improve your mood, sleep and even blood pressure enormously.

4. To Take a Step Back
From a purely business-related standpoint, being an integral part of the inner workings of your company on a day-to-day basis often means being bogged down in small details. Going on a vacation, then, is a good way to take a step back from that daily minutiae and be able to think about things on a big-picture scale. You may be surprised by the "aha" moments that happen when you're able to remove yourself from work for a short time.

5. To Focus on Something Other Than Work
Work-life balance is something that can really go out the window when you're starting a small business. You have to invest so much time and energy in getting your ideas off the ground that your home life can sometimes take a back seat. It doesn't matter if you have a family, a significant other or it's just you at home – taking a vacation can put a little bit of that balance back into your life.