This is going to sound corny, but a bunch of scientists went on a vacation to study the effects of the vacation on their brains. They wanted to study what would happen to their brains if they disconnected themselves from everything electronic—cell phones, the internet, computers, everything. One even forgot to put on his watch. Here they are. They look like normal humans, don’t they?

My thanks to Chang W. Lee of The New York Times for the photo

Guess what? They relaxed. They found out that with fewer distractions, their ability to concentrate improved.

Time seemed to slow down for them. They experienced what they called “the third day syndrome” when the exact time didn’t seem to matter any more. Hence forgetting to put on the watch.

They talked about how they were thinking and feeling. One thing they mentioned was a study done in Michigan that showed that taking a walk in the woods improves your ability to learn. (I already knew this—another book I read recently said that it’s because of chemicals given off by the trees and fungi.)

They decided that their senses were changing—getting sharper. They were noticing more things around them; they were becoming connected to their surroundings.

Apparently the experience improved their ability to be creative. Several came up with new approaches to projects they were working on.

They all ended up in slightly better shape, and I’ll bet they were closer friends when the trip was over.

So there you have it—scientific proof that you benefit from taking a vacation. Go do it. Now, before something distracts you.

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