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Nov 15, 2009

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen." --Leonardo Da Vinci

No Vacation Nation

Last year, fewer than half of all Americans took a week off or less for vacation. Compared with the five weeks of paid vacation Europeans get, Americans seem woefully overworked and under-rested. Doctors have been researching the ill effects of too much work, and some claim that a lack of vacation can have real health consequences. Dr. Sarah Speck calls the stress from too much work the new tobacco and says that vacations are an important way to reduce stress and burnout. While a recession may seem like an odd time to push for more vacation time, many experts in the field point to a variety of benefits of vacation.