The quality of rest does not depend solely on the length of the holidays. It also matters whether we can truly be here and now during our time off.
Summer vacation and holidays are much-anticipated times for many of us. They offer a chance to escape the usual daily rush, slow down, breathe out, and recharge. They could be an ideal opportunity to reconnect with ourselves.
However, the art of truly resting is not a given. Not every day off is genuinely free. Many of us bring our luggage and work mode along to the cottage, the sea, or on a trip — in the form of thoughts about unfinished projects, work emails, and an internal pressure to stay productive. The result is that while our bodies may be on vacation, our minds remain at the office or the university library.
We thus lose the opportunity for deeper regeneration, one that is necessary not only for our health but also for sustainable work and study performance.
Psychological studies demonstrate that vacations have positive effects on human health, but only under certain conditions.
A study by a Dutch team led by Jessica de Bloom (2012) tracked the effects of short vacations on the psychological well-being and health of employees. During 4–5 days of time off, participants experienced a significant improvement (effect size d = 0.62), but this effect gradually faded within a few days after returning to work.
A crucial factor was the extent to which people could mentally disconnect from work and experience their free time as pleasant and meaningful during their vacation. The fewer negative events, the more relaxation, sharing with loved ones, and inner pleasure, the stronger and more lasting the positive effect. Conversely, those who continued work activities even during their time off showed lower levels of recovery.
Another study (Flaxman, 2023), focused on teachers, confirmed that even short mental returns to work, so-called work-related perseverative cognition, lead to a quicker return of stress after vacation.
It’s thus not just the length of vacation but especially the quality of our attention during it that matters.
One way to truly slow down and recharge is mindfulness – the ability to be present in one’s own life. It is a mental skill to perceive what is happening right now without judgment, with openness and acceptance.
Why is this important during vacation?
The study Is a meditation retreat the better vacation? (Blasche et al., 2021) compared three groups: those who participated in an intensive meditation retreat, those who practised some form of meditation during their vacation, and those who spent it in a “regular” way. Results ten weeks after returning showed that the groups practising meditation reported lower fatigue, higher well-being, and higher levels of mindfulness. An ordinary vacation brought temporary relief, but its effects vanished quickly.
Similarly, a remarkable 2016 study (Epel et al.) looked at gene expression levels. Participants in meditation retreats showed positive changes in the regulation of genes related to stress, immunity, and cellular ageing. Although the psychological “vacation effect” was observed in all groups, mindfulness helped deepen and maintain these effects for up to ten months.
In other words, it’s not just physical presence but mental presence that determines how vacation impacts our body and mind.
What can we do for ourselves this holiday season? It doesn’t require much time – just a few minutes a day. Here is a simple exercise adapted for the summer environment:
Summer vacation doesn’t have to be just a travel escape into the unknown – it can be a conscious return. To oneself, to one’s body, to relationships, and to what truly fulfills us.
Psychology, neuroscience, and cellular biology show that mindfulness is not just a nice theory but a practical skill that transforms how we experience life – and therefore our vacation too.
If you want to know how to start or deepen your mindfulness practice, we recommend visiting the Academic Center for Mindfulness: Mindfulness Research and Practice Network at Masaryk University:
Sometimes the biggest change doesn’t come from a new place but from a new quality of attention. And that’s something you can take with you, whether in a university lecture backpack or your vacation suitcase.
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An interview with Nikola Kokešová, coordinator of the Junior Academy at Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine, about how the project helps high school students open doors to the world of medicine.
