Women who take vacations frequently are less likely to become tense, depressed, or tired and are more satisfied with their marriages.

In a NIOSH-funded study published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal, principal investigator Cathy McCarthy said, "This study proves vacations are good for your mental health and may help you do a better job at work. Employers should be supportive of time off because they benefit from having relaxed, happy employees."

The investigators analyzed research conducted between 1996 and 2001 involving 1,500 women in central Wisconsin. They compared psychological stress, quality of marital life, and home-life disruptions due to work among women who take vacations twice or more per year, with those findings among women who took off only once in 2 years.