The surprising truth about vacations... and why your brain actually needs one

The surprising truth about vacations… and why your brain actually needs one

Let’s be honest: most professionals today feel like they can’t take a real break. Even when they go on vacation, they check emails, join Zoom calls, and scroll through work updates. But did you know that vacations weren’t always a normal part of life—and that your brain is literally wired to need them?

A quick history of vacation

For most of history, people didn’t get time off unless they were wealthy or lived around holy days. Farmers and workers labored daily, often without a single day of rest besides the Sabbath. But in the 1800s, something changed. As cities grew and jobs shifted from fields to factories, the mental strain of work became more obvious.

Doctors and pastors started noticing how constant labor harmed the soul and the body. That’s when the idea of “taking the waters” or retreating to the mountains for rest became common. By the early 20th century, paid vacation time was introduced in some places—not just for comfort, but for health.

What science says about time off

Modern neuroscience agrees with ancient wisdom: your brain needs rest. When you take real time off, several things happen:

• Your prefrontal cortex (the part that handles decision-making) gets to recharge.

• Your stress hormones, like cortisol, start to drop.

• You actually sleep better and think more clearly when you return.

One study found that people who took vacations had lower risk of heart disease and even lived longer. Think about that. Skipping rest doesn’t make you more successful—it might just make you sick.

Even Jesus rested

Jesus—who carried the weight of the world—took time away. Mark 6:31 says, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” He told this to His disciples right after they had been working hard in ministry.

If Jesus needed solitude and rest, and if He told others to pause, why would we ignore that?

Taking time away isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. Psalm 127:2 reminds us, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep.”

A reminder for professionals

Your job is important. Your calling matters. But your soul wasn’t made to run non-stop. Vacation—whether it’s a week away or just one tech-free day—can help you reset your brain, quiet your heart, and reconnect with God.

This is more than self-care. It’s a spiritual practice.

A simple next step

Can you block out one day in the next 30 to be fully unavailable? No emails. No pressure. Just prayer, beauty, nature, or silence.

Your body and your spirit will thank you. So will your coworkers.

As Ecclesiastes 4:6 says:
“Better is one handful with quietness than two handfuls with toil and chasing the wind.”