Hi and welcome to another episode specifically episode 100 of the savvy psychologist.

I'm your host Dr. Ellen Hendrickson and every week I'll help you meet life's challenges

with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear and zero judgment. I can't believe

it either after two years a best new podcast iTunes award and millions of

downloads the savvy psychologist podcast has reached episode 100.

So this week in celebration we'll aim for a double whammy. Five tips that will

improve both your health and your happiness. I don't close every episode with a

promise for a happier, healthier mind for nothing.

But what makes this tip list a little different is its specificity.

Now there are lots of happiness tip lists out there and and with all due respect, I found much of the

advice to be vague and shape shifting, like choose joy or be open.

So here are five tips for health and happiness that may seem oddly precise, but that makes

them achievable. Plus grounded in science, but you're used to that by now.

So tip number one is take all your vacation time and look forward to it.

So the US is notoriously stingy when it comes to vacation time, especially compared to Europe.

So you'd think that we Americans would use all of our

precious allotment, but so many of us either leave that time on the table, work

while we're on vacation, or don't take any vacation at all. And vacations intuitively increase health by offering a chance

to relax and recharge, and vacations go along with lower blood pressure, lower rates of

obesity, and less depression.

Now, in terms of happiness, a 2010 study of over 1,500 people

compared happiness in those who took vacation

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