Why You Need To Take A Vacation, By Zodiac Sign
It's more important than you think.
Can we be honest with each other for a minute? We as humans care more about our professional lives than our personal lives.
We would rather work hard on a project at work, even if it meant staying late to finish up something that could probably wait until the next day, than going home and getting some much-needed sleep.
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The thought of taking care of our mental and emotional health is a weird concept to us – if we’re not busting our butts at work showing just how valuable we are, we must be doing something wrong, right?
Think about the last time you did something for yourself, like really did something just for the fun of it. And no, I don’t mean finally getting caught up on your laundry… although that was pretty exciting for me this week.
I mean take the weekend off and go to the movies by yourself or go out for brunch with your friends and not keep looking at your watch or phone. We feel most at home when we’re busy. It’s weird when we don’t have anything scheduled on our calendar, and when we think about maybe doing something for ourselves (or doing nothing at all), we find ourselves feeling guilty.
Are you even allowed to take a break? What happens if someone asks what you did with your day and you just say that you did nothing? That’s why it’s so hard for us to let ourselves take vacations, but it really is important to take vacations even when you’re busy.
Rest and relaxation are more important to your wellbeing than you think. Allowing yourself to take a vacation can help you reduce stress, make you more productive and creative, enhance your relationships, and even improve your physical health.
Look, I get it. The thought of taking off work, even a few days, can bring about a lot of anxiety and racing thoughts (What will I miss while I’m gone? Can they handle things without me?), but if telling your boss it’s the doctor’s orders to take a day or two off, then by all means, make that excuse.
You’ll feel much more refreshed when you get back to the office and your daily routine that you’ll thank yourself for the break. Here is why you need to take a vacation, based to your zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries, your horoscope sign needs a vacation because you’re starting to lose focus. Because you always have so much going on in your daily life, it can be easy for everything to start running into each other – tasks, projects, appointments – and just become a whole blur of responsibilities.
You’ve got too much going on right now, and way too much on your plate. Unfortunately for you, all you see are the gaps in your schedule that need to be filled with even more tasks. You need a vacation before you completely burn out.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus, you need a vacation because, according to astrology, you’re in a serious rut right now. Usually, you have your routine to help keep you in line, especially when life feels chaotic, but right now, you feel like you’re going nowhere in life.
Whether it’s your job, the routine you have every day is starting to feel boring, or you’re just looking for some excitement, you’re feeling lost and unsure of your direction in life. This could just be because you haven’t had a change of scenery in a while, but I’m thinking a vacation is a good idea.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
You are no stranger to overstimulation, Gemini. You are constantly connected to your coworkers, friends, and family though social media, texts, and in-person meet-ups. While it may feel second-nature to you, it’s still doing quite a number on your energy.
When you feel like you’re barely thinking straight anymore – or barely thinking at all – it’s time for a vacation. Right now, your thoughts are all jumbled, but you might be wary of taking a few days off. I know you’re unsure of how to tell people you need a break without feeling like you’re letting them down, but you NEED a break.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
When you take everything as they come – one by one – it doesn’t ever seem so hard to handle, does it, Cancer? You seem have your personal life, your professional life, and your social life all under control on the surface, but only you know how chaotic it all really is.
You need a vacation STAT because life is feeling pretty overwhelming at the moment. It isn’t just everything you’re balancing right now – it’s the family drama you’re dealing with, trying to keep your dating life above water, and the endless stream of projects at work that you’re trying to manage. It’s rough, I get it, so maybe it’s time for some rest.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo, you need a vacation because it’s hard being number one all the time. That’s not meant to be a jab at your love for the spotlight, either. You really are number one in everything you do – and it can be exhausting to be the leader all the time.
You need a vacation to recharge your batteries and celebrate your successes. You’ve been working your butt off for a long time, and now seems like a good idea to switch your phone on silent and sleep in for a change, don’t you agree?
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Being a perfectionist can come with a lot of negative side effects, some of the most common being stress and anxiety. You want everything to be perfect, Virgo, and honestly, I can’t blame you. Nothing feels better than total control of your own life.
That said, all of that micromanaging is really just giving you a permanent headache. Like it or not, youcan’t control it all. You could use a vacation because being you (no offense intended) is stressing you out and making you feel mentally blocked. You need to get back to basics and learn how to focus on the things that really matter to you.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
You know that feeling you get when you leave yoga class and your body and mind are like two scoops of strawberry Jell-O? And then the minute you get back to your daily scheduled routine, it feels like someone squished all of that Jell-O through their fingers?
Weird analogy, I know, but my point is that you’re feeling like squished Jell-O right now. You need a vacation to help bring that wonderful balance back into your life. Let this much-needed vacation be the ultimate de-stress trip for you. Even a few days off can do wonders for your mind… and give you time to eat some Jell-O.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
When you set your sights on a goal or new project, Scorpio, you’re like a dog with a squeaky toy: you don’t let go until you totally slay whatever you’ve sunk your teeth into. Everyone loves that intensity and drive to kick butt, but it’s also very exhausting for you.
You need a vacation because you’re pushing yourself way too hard right now. It might not feel like it because the late nights and early mornings you’ve been running on are starting to feel like the norm, but this delusion that you can keep this powering through mindset for much longer is just crazy talk. You need to press reset on your buttons and relax.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
You long have you been feeling that itch, Sagittarius? The itch that you can’t seem to scratch, I mean. You think that changing up what you eat for lunch and the route you take to work is going to make you feel better, but it doesn’t work like that.
You’re starting to feel bored with the same old, same old of everyday life, and it’s showing in your work and your relationships. You were born to travel and explore – not stay tied down to one place – so consider taking a vacation soon to spice up your life and rekindle that Sagittarius spark everyone loves so much.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
You know that song Work Hard, Play Hard by Wiz Khalifa, don’t you, Capricorn? Well, if it were the anthem to your life, it would only be the words “work hard” over and over on a loop. Catching my drift? You need time to play hard, too.
Your need of a vacation comes from working yourself to the bone without any break or playtime whatsoever. There’s a difference between being driven and being a workaholic, Capricorn, and only one of those words has a positive connotation attached to it. Even if you still keep your intense personality about you, take a vacation to play as hard as you work, and you’ll feel much better for it later.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
When nothing in life changes for you, or feels fun and exciting in any way, each day starts to blur by and you can feel your eyes starting to glaze over, Aquarius. Try as you might to try new things and bring some thrill to your life, you can only do so much when work and life is bringing you down.
You could use a vacation because, if we’re being honest here, you need a change of environment. Even if you hide yourself away somewhere for a few days to recharge with some alone time, it’s a lot better than toughing it out at home. Trying something new for a change and remind yourself that when life gets dull, there’s still a lot of good out there to experience… when you get some free time.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
In a perfect world, you would be on top of your game every single day, Pisces. If no one ever relied on you to help them or listen to their problems, you would be knocking things out one by one. Of course, you love helping your loved ones, and you have a hard time turning people in need down.
While that’s a great quality to have, it also means that you’re turning your own needs down to help others. So, next time you question why your to-do list isn’t getting any shorter, remember that it’s because you’re drowning in other people’s needs. You need a vacation to detach from your responsibilities for a while and learn how to set boundaries with the people you care about. Just FYI: It’s not selfish to thing about yourself first for a change.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a non-fiction book in the future.