Health experts say planning a vacation is good for you mental health

The last Tuesday in January is recognized as ‘National Plan for Vacation Day.’ Even though we are in the middle of a health pandemic and traveling is highly discouraged, mental health experts say planning something fun in the future can make you feel better.

“It’s important to make plans. We find that people are much happier when they plan for a vacation,” said Lorri Nunnery, the Executive Director for Visit Jackson Tennesee.

According to recent surveys, sixty-three percent of Americans say they need a vacation. Hardworking citizens like Tiffany Purnell could use one right now but is hesitant because of the pandemic.

“I have thought about going on vacation, but due to covid-19, it truly scares me to go somewhere outside of Jackson, Tennessee,” said Purnell.

Even though Purnell is leery to travel, that does not stop her from searching the web planning for future destinations.

“My husband and I were looking at chalets in Gatlinburg, Tennessee last night,” she said.

In a recent survey on traveling, 97 percent of participants say they feel happier knowing they have something planned. According to Purnell, planning for the future gives her hope.

“It made me feel good, and it gave me hope because I know I have been personally stuck in my area for eight months or more.”

Research shows that Americans leave a significant amount of vacation days unused. city officials in Jackson want to encourage residents to take time off to refresh.

“I was looking at the statistics on this, and what I found interesting was that Americans leave thirty-three percent of their vacation time on the table at the end of the year. Just pull out your calendar, take a look at it and tentatively plan some events,” said Nunnery.