Do holidays really help you recover from work?

It’s holiday season in the UK, and researchers have been exploring what means you’ll get the most from your break.

Should you choose a lounge by a pool, or a rugged mountain trail? Take two weeks in one go or plan in a few shorter breaks spread out?

A recent meta-analysis, which analysed 132 studies containing over 3,000 holidaymakers across nine countries, might provide some science-backed answers.

Key takeaways:

• Wellbeing gets a significant boost from holidays; it’s a bigger lift than previously thought, and it lasts up to 43 days post-return.
• Physical activity + full mental detachment from work gives you the best chance of recovery.
• Staycations? Not as effective and rarely delivers the psychological detachment needed.
• A longer holiday brings more immediate joy but also a sharper crash back to reality.

What do the researchers think really makes the difference? They say it’s not about the destination, it’s about the quality of disconnection you achieve from your work. In a world where burnout is rising, the science is clear: taking time off isn’t just a luxury – it’s essential to your long-term wellbeing.

So, log off those work emails fully and go and spend a bit of time exploring the world.

If you’re interested in reading more about the researchers’ findings, you can access the article from the Journal of Applied Psychology here.