Travel Minute — Is It Time to Take A Vacation?

Have you taken a vacation yet this year?  We’re seven months into the year and half way through the summer.  If you haven’t planned some time off, let me suggest you do.

A vacation doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition.  If money is tight, consider babysitting a friend’s home somewhere when they’re away.  Or visit a national park for a night or two.  The idea is to get out your everyday routine and look at things anew—at least that’s my definition of a vacation.

Americans are notorious for short-changing themselves when it comes to taking time off.  And there’s evidence that traveling can boost your creativity and maybe even your career.

Adam Galinsky is a psychologist at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.  He recently completed an eight-year study that found people who can identify with two different cultures rather than just one had higher promotion rates, better reputations, and were more entrepreneurial.  They also produced more innovations in the workplace.

They were found to better at considering and combining multiple perspectives.  But there’s another reason not to skip a vacation this year: You deserve a break today.