Happy, healthy
HOLIDAYS
By Angela Metohainakis
Ask anyone, sustaining a work-life balance is easier said
than done. With the modern day pressures of full-time
work, it seems many are finding it hard to achieve that
balance. But new research has suggested that this is one
battle you can’t afford to lose.
Did you know Australian employees have clocked up over
123 million days and $33.3 billion worth of annual leave?
That’s 350,000 days of holidays!
These are some of the figures that Tourism Australia’s No Leave
No Life campaign has uncovered in their quest to get people
holidaying. Most of us, it seems, are taking less time off from
our busy schedules and instead are amassing huge amounts of
annual leave for a holiday that is often both a long time coming
and over with too soon.
It’s a daunting thought - all that work, and pending play.
According to No Leave, No Life, there are many different
reasons why full-time workers feel compelled to stockpile
their leave. From waiting for that ‘big holiday’, to feeling as
if they need to hold the fort down at work, or fearing that
their employer won’t approve of regular short breaks. But the
relentless work is taking its toll – on individuals, families and
businesses.
“Stockpiling leave and not taking a break contributes to many
workplace concerns such as productivity, staff retention,
employee commitment and morale,” said Geoff Buckley,
Managing Director of Tourism Australia. “Not to mention the
effects it has on individual’s lives, such as increased stress, sick
leave and the time they get to spend connecting with family
and friends,” Mr Buckley said.
Are you taking regular holidays?
Are you taking the right steps to take regular holidays? Or is it
something you keep telling yourself you’ll get around to?
The No Leave, No Life campaign suggests the health benefits
far outweigh any reason to stockpile leave and avoid short
getaways.
Health benefits of holidays
It seems regular holidays can promote a healthier disposition,
not to mention the positive effect it has on your work-life.
Dr Peter Cotton, Director of Psychology Services at Health
Services Australia, elaborates: “Not taking leave can often be
associated with an increased risk of ‘burnout’ and stress-related
problems. There is a link between not taking leave and having a
poor work-family balance.”
You can potentially increase your job satisfaction by coming
back from a break refreshed and in doing so, avoid ‘burnout’.
On top of that, your relationships will only be the better for it.
Enjoy better relationships
Taking time out with your family and friends helps you to
reconnect with the ones that matter most to you. Frequent
holidays can help you recover from fatigue and promote a
consistent level of relaxation.
“Your life is happening
right now, not some time later…
This is not a rehearsal”
“With my two older kids at school now, I realise how little
time I get to see them, even as a stay at home mum. So long
weekends and holidays have become even more special for us
– that’s when we try to go exploring Australia as a family,” said
Karen Cheng, Lifestyle Blogger.
“Take care of yourself. Take care of your marriage. Spend time
with your children. Take them to the places you used to go
when you were a kid, and then take them somewhere you’ve
never been before. You’ll discover cool stuff about them, and
yourself,” she added.
Vacation Ownership – a growing trend
With holidays so crucial to our health, happiness and wellbeing,
more and more families are turning to Vacation Ownership as a
way to holiday affordably and more often.
Vacation Ownership, as offered by Wyndham Vacation Resorts
Asia Pacific, is a trend that is on the rise. Rather than owning
a fixed week at one resort, each owner owns a certain period
of time that allows them to occupy their choice of units from
among a timeshare pool.
While many Australians are tightening their holiday purse
strings, recent figures show Australian timeshare owners
continue to take frequent holidays.
“The great thing about timeshare is that no matter what
is happening with the economy, if you have pre-paid for
something, there is more likelihood you are going to use it,”
said Barry Robinson, CEO and Managing Director of Australian
based timeshare company, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia
Pacific.
That is because pre-paying timeshare owners feel they have
more money in their wallets because they won’t get a huge
hotel bill at the end of their holiday. That feeling of wealth, not
felt in the general economy in years, has encouraged spending
of $211.6 million by timeshare owners and their guests while
holidaying using timeshare in Australia in 2012. This equates to
an average expenditure of $1,954 per travel party per trip.
Timeshare’s status as an unheralded engine room of Australia’s
tourism has been confirmed in new research that calculates the
industry’s 2012 economic output at $616.5 million.
In 2012 90% of timeshare owners reported satisfaction with their
most recent timeshare accommodation and 77% believed their
Ownership had already saved them money or would do so in
the future.*
Karen Cheng, Lifestyle Blogger, has this advice. “Give yourself
the opportunity to experience new things, gain lasting
memories and remember that life is for living – and much too
short...!”
“Even in the most enjoyable job, stress builds up, perspective
is lost, and your important, long-term maintenance of your
personal, physical and emotional health can suffer. So spend
more time with your loved ones and friends. We need to take
a good chunk of time to rest, recharge, and allow ourselves to
come back to our jobs, reinvigorated. Your time is what you
make of it. Your life is happening right now, not some time
later. As the old saying goes: This is not a rehearsal,” said Karen
Cheng.
Please consider the Product Disclosure Statement located at
www.wyndhamAP.com/pds when deciding whether to acquire
this product.
*Economic Contribution of the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Industry - 2012 Draft Report May 2013
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