Improve Your Health: Escape to the Mountains

Everyone loves a vacation, but did you know a vacation might actually improve your health? Time and again, researchers have proven that taking time away from home, work, and the stress of everyday life has positive implications for your physical and mental health. So this winter, take care of yourself escape to the mountains of northern Georgia, and improve your health in several ways.

Improve Your Moodhealth
Escape to the mountains on vacation has positive benefits for mental health. For women, a Wisconsin study found that taking regular vacations, at least two or more per year, reduced depression and tension and raised marital satisfaction.  These benefits alone should be enough to encourage you to get away for at least a weekend or two each year. Additionally, being out in nature and the mountains gives our brains a chance to rest. With smartphones, deadlines, and the pressures of everyday lives, we often make our brain concentrate too hard for too long a time in what is called “directed attention.” Getting out into nature allows our brains to give our direct attention skills a rest and exercise our involuntary attention brain muscles.Improve Your Health
We certainly can’t ignore our mental health, but vacation has the power to improve our physical health as well. Stress produces physiological changes in our bodies. The constant flood of adrenaline fueling our fight-or-flight instinct can increase the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Stress also causes smaller symptoms like headaches, trouble sleeping, and weight gain.Taking breaks from work and the demands of life lowers our stress levels and helps our bodies recover from the strains we put on them each day. Additionally, nature has proven restorative powers that help reduce stress levels and calm us down. Just looking out a window at nature can ease our stress. Staying in the cabin rentals in the northern Georgia mountains will afford plenty of time to enjoy the view or even take a hike to improve your health.

Solve Your Problems
Another study has shown that when we create a physical distance between ourselves and the problems we face in life, our brains can work more creatively to solve those problems. Getting away to the mountains to let our bodies and brains relax provides enough space for us to get creative about tackling a new project at work, figuring out how to make a home remodel work for us, or making big decisions like changing jobs, moving, or going back to school.

This winter, take care of yourself and escape to the natural beauty of Helen, GA to let the restorative power of nature heal your mind, body, and soul.