Holidays are ideal tonic for improved mental and physical health

A few years ago I went to see my doctor. He said the words we all long to hear: “You need a holiday.” Of course I did. Stressed from work and life matters, I’d been getting lots of opportunistic bugs and sicknesses, and was visiting him every other week about something or other.

But it was still wonderful to be given permission. “Yes, I do need a holiday,” I concurred. “I’m thinking a week in the sun up north.” He shook his head. “No, not a short beach holiday, a significant travel break. Something that takes you out of the country and away from everything familiar and stimulates your mind. You need at least three weeks in Europe or India. Have you ever done Vietnam and Cambodia?”

But he persisted and what he said stayed with me. “I can’t help with the cat-sitting, but I can ­alleviate your money or work concerns by telling you that I calculate my patients save at least $3000 to $5000 in medical expenses per holiday they take. So you either take the holiday or pay the doctor.

But if you are not with a partner, don’t despair. There’s always the massage and pampering that comes with holidays, with studies showing that skin stimulation can trigger release. It is not just whimsical to stay well pampered by a partner or ourselves. While low serotonin levels are linked to weakened immune function and depression, raised levels are a fountain of youth, more so since serotonin stimulates melatonin for that much needed catch-up on sleep in our big comfy hotel beds — sleep being one of the most ­important contributors to vital good health.