Tell someone you’re burnt out and they’ll likely suggest that you take a vacation. And while burnout is often caused by structural problems in a workplace, the likes of which won’t be solved by a dip in the Adriatic Sea, there is some wisdom in the suggestion.

Research suggests that taking a vacation is good for physical and emotional health. Vacations may ​lower your risk of heart attack​, ​ameliorate stress​, ​increase efficiency at work​, ​improve performance reviews​, and even ​enhance creativity​. Lin-Manuel Miranda, author of the award-winning musical Hamilton, makes the case for rest and describes its impact on his own creative process in ​a conversation with Arianna Huffington​. Miranda notes that Hamilton’s titular character’s poor decision making, agreeing to a duel that ultimately cost him his life, was due to lack of rest. Alexander Hamilton needed a vacation.

Miranda goes on, "It’s no accident that the best idea I’ve ever had in my life came to me on vacation. When I picked up Ron Chernow’s biography [of Hamilton], I was at a resort in Mexico on my first vacation from 'In The Heights,' which I had been working seven years to bring to Broadway. The moment my brain got a moment’s rest, ‘Hamilton' walked into it.”

If you take a vacation, will you write the next blockbuster musical? Probably not. But a dip in the Adriatic Sea couldn’t hurt.

Here are some tips for planning a vacation that offers the respite you likely desperately need:

Do what you can.

Squeeze in a short vacation if you must. A ​study​ found that a long weekend, 3 or 4 days can be just as beneficial as a longer vacation. If work or personal obligations make a longer vacation difficult, taking several shorter vacations throughout the year may be even more beneficial to your well being. And contrary to popular belief, travel doesn’t have to be expensive. You can get just as much benefit from driving a few hours to stay with a friend as flying to Tahiti to stay in an overwater bungalow.

Really step away.

This one is really important. You need a mental break from work. Don’t bring your work phone or laptop. Don’t check your emails. Easier said than done, huh? I’m sure you are a Very Important Person but I promise that with proper planning, you can do this. Arrange for someone to cover for you, set up your out-of-office notifications, and remind people that you won’t be available AT ALL. Worried about having self control? Go somewhere that doesn’t have wifi or cell service, whether that means backpacking in the middle of nowhere or going to a digital detox wellness retreat a la season 3 of HBO’s White Lotus.

Don’t get overwhelmed.

Check in with yourself about what kind of vacation you want right now. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a confusing, chaotic, or busy place. When I went to the megalopolis of Seoul recently, I loved feeling like a fish out of water. Being out of my comfort zone was an exhilarating adventure. Other times, I have opted to vacation in more familiar surroundings. My first international trip since the beginning of the pandemic was to the UK. If I got really sick, I wanted to be able to easily navigate the healthcare system. I was out of practice with regard to travel and I just couldn’t handle the stress of being somewhere where they didn’t speak English. It’s ok to go somewhere that feels less exotic and more familiar if that’s what you need.

Relax, don’t vegetate.

Studies show that cognitive functioning is improved and refreshed by activities that effortlessly absorb our attention while allowing for opportunity to reflect, like being in nature. Researchers call this less demanding attention, “soft fascination,” as opposed to “hard fascination,” which describes stimuli that grabs onto our attention and won’t let go, like watching tv or scrolling on our phones. So stay away from screens on vacation and opt for watching boats bob up and down in a harbor, take in art at the museum, or listen to the musician busking on the street corner while you sip coffee at a cafe. Better yet, add exercise, like taking a hike or going snorkeling, to get additional health and mood benefits.

Luxuriate in anticipation.

​Research​ suggests that the mood boost that comes along with a vacation is actually higher before the vacation than after you return home. It may sound strange, but I enjoyed the 6 months of planning, training, and preparing for the 211 mile John Muir Trail more than the 16 days I spent traversing the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the trail itself. I tend to do a lot of research about where I’m headed on vacation, both to get a sense of what my options are and for the pure enjoyment of the anticipation. I gather my information via social media, google searches, guide books, movies, and television. (Shout out to my fave, Anthony Bourdain! RIP.) I tend to have a pretty good idea of what I might like to do, perhaps even using a spreadsheet to plan out iterations of possible itineraries, while leaving room for the mystery of my journey unfolding.

Because you never know who or what might walk through that door when your body and mind are allowed to rest.