In the report, Adam Galinsky, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, says “detaching from a familiar environment can help get new perspectives on everyday life.” Why is it so important to get a new perspective? Well, the psychological distance from your daily life that a vacation affords is said to increase instances of personal epiphany, and allows you to gain a better self-knowledge. According to Galinsky, travelling abroad increases this effect as people are forced into a hyper-awareness of their surroundings, and their actions. Dr. Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University whose writing has appeared on Mindful.org, weighs in on the issue stating that the benefits of vacationing are actually integral parts of what it means to be mindful. The article writes, “part of the essence of being mindful is noticing new things, Langer said….’Boring,’ she says, is a state of mind. And once you achieve a mindset of ‘everything is different and interesting,’ it becomes a valuable souvenir to take home after the vacation.” So, if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut consider taking a vacation and in the meantime try to practice a little mindfulness. Better yet, here’s a great article pack we compiled on “Mindful Vacationing.”
