How does your country rate?

Marilyn and I are exhausted. We are thankful that we will be going on a short vacation at the end of this week.

This led me to thinking about the importance of taking time out.

Having a vacation is really very important for many different reasons.

It benefits your health, protects relationships, improves work productivity, and can even save lives. I will not cover these in detail as I have done that previously but have a look at the following if you need a reminder.

Science behind vacations 

Research that could save your job, family and life

Health benefits of a vacation

Why you need a vacation

CLICK ON PICTURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

So I looked at how countries around the world care for their workers.

I got my information from  Wikipedia   They list over 2000 countries annual leave details. I made very interesting reading.

Here is a very short extract showing the countries I believe most of our readers will live in or be interested in. For the full list visit the link above to the article.

With only one exception (more about that later) every country listed has a legal requirement to give workers paid leave every year plus paid leave on public holidays (although sometimes this is taken as extra work and an increased pay instead of a day off.

The one exception is not some backward 3^rd world country as one may have expected. Even 3^rd world countries have a legal requirement to give staff paid leave.

No, the only exception is the United States of America where there is no legal requirement to give staff any time off.

COUNTRY	PAID VACATION DAYS PER YEAR 5 day working week	PAID PUBLIC HOLIDAYS	TOTAL PAID DAYS LEAVE PER YEAR 5 day working week
Australia	20	10	30
Belgium	20	10	30
Canada	10 to 20 Varies	6 to 10 varies	16 to 26
France	25	11	36
Germany	20	10	30
New Zealand	20	11	31
Portugal	22	9	31
Spain	22	11	33
Sweden	25	9	34
Switzerland	20	7	27
United Kingdom	20	8	28
U.S.A	0	0	0

America No vacation Nation 

Wherever you live and however many of few days you get take them!

Use them!

Benefit from them it could transform your life.

Worried about the cost?

Worried about your pets?

Worried about leaving your home empty and in danger?

We can help!

If you are going away and concerned about leaving your home uninhabited and vulnerable, we can arrange for people to stay, free of charge, in your home while you are away. They will look after your home and your pets.

If you are finding it difficult to afford a vacation, we invite you to join as a sitter and we will keep you up to date with RENT FREE vacations all over the world

For details have a look at our website

REMEMBER. We are a Ministry NOT a business. 100% of all income goes through a UK Registered Charity to support vulnerable children at a Children’s Home we run in Kenya Full Details

God bless you,

Advertisement

How long do you need?

Reading the news this morning I came upon an article from Country Living asking the question.

How long do you need to go on holiday for to feel really relaxed?

I can’t reproduce the whole article but below are some of the key points and findings. If you want to read the original there is a link below.

NOTE: American readers the word holiday in this article is used with the UK meaning. In the USA you would replace it with vacation.

When you’re planning a holiday, one of the main points to consider is how long you’ll be going away for.

Do you go for a long weekend, a whole week, or perhaps even longer?

According to scientific research, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, there is a perfect length of holiday time which has the maximum beneficial effect on your health and wellbeing.

Researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, set out to explore the effects of holiday length on health and wellbeing, and its relationship to positive aftereffects.

So what’s the perfect length? Longer than eight days. But there’s an interesting point to be made about the frequency of our holidays, too. Here’s why…

The results
The experiment found that health and wellbeing increased rapidly during holiday time, peaking on the eighth day.

How long should you holiday for?

So, if you want to get the most from your holiday and feel truly rested and rejuvenated, try to have a break for longer than eight days, and fill your time with pleasurable and relaxing experiences to boost your health and wellbeing.

And, as the authors suggest, it may be more beneficial to take more frequent shorter breaks, rather than one long respite from work.

We can help you achieve this goal.

Through Christian House Sitters you can enjoy rent-free holidays all over the world.
We can also arrange for people to look after your home and if necessary your pets while you are away. Again free of charge.

If you are thinking of a holiday and want someone to look after your home please visit our website and register as an owner. It is FREE.

Register as soon as you know your holiday dates, don’t leave it to the last-minute, as that way you will have a much better range of sitters to choose from.

If you want to be a sitter and to enjoy a rent-free vacation then we can also help.

Have a look at the website for the details. CLICK HERE

God bless you,

Ray

We are part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org  

The full article I read can be found at https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/travel/this-is-how-long-you-need-to-go-on-holiday-for-to-feel-completely-relaxed/ar-BBLiAth?ocid=spartandhp

 

 

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Good advice from a friend

Click on the video to watch the story unfold

If you are thinking of a vacation and want someone to look after your home please visit our website and register as an owner. It is FREE.

Register as soon as you know your vacation dates, don’t leave it to the last-minute, as that way you will have a much better range of sitters to choose from.

If you want to be a sitter and to enjoy a rent-free vacation then we can also help.

Have a look at the website for the details. CLICK HERE

God bless you,

Ray

We are part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org  

 

 

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Reasons To Take A Vacation ASAP, According To Science

The following is an extract from an article published by Huffpost on the 6th of December 2017

To read the full original click here

Reasons To Take A Vacation ASAP, According To Science

By Renee Jacques (Updated Dec 06, 2017)

The most common reason why people weren’t taking a vacation was that they possess what researchers call a “martyr” complex, in which they believe that no one else can do their job as well as they can. Yet more than 20 percent of people who don’t take vacations say they skip out because they are afraid they feel they are easily replaceable.

Whichever is the case, we’re here to tell you to please, please take a vacation. We know you’re afraid. But after you read these reasons why taking a vacation will do amazing things for your wellbeing and your mind, you may reconsider. And more importantly: Taking a vacation could make you even better at your job. Yes, it’s true. Read on, and start booking your next flight or planning a staycation.

1. Your body is literally telling you to take a break. But you keep ignoring it.

Giving employees significant time to take a break will help them be renewed and come back to work even stronger, says Tony Schwartz, the chief executive officer of The Energy Project, in an op-ed in The New York Times. His company offers employees four weeks of vacation starting in their first year. He does this because he believes that “the importance of restoration is rooted in our physiology.” He credits a study done by researchers at Florida State University …..

2. Because when your brain is completely relaxed, it’s still working on improving the skills you have learned.

This all goes back to the science of sleep. Many studies have shown that when the brain is relaxed, it focuses itself on boring but essential tasks, like etching in and memorizing the new skills you may have learned at the office during the week before. So, if you’re struggling to keep up with the new software your company just introduced, right now might be the best time to take a vacation. Let your brain take some time to process the new information, and you might return in tip-top shape!

3. It’s been proven that allowing your brain to day-dream allows you to better solve problems and be more creative.

Your brain operates on two levels: One side is task-focused and the other side is focused on letting your mind wander and daydream. As you can imagine, a hard worker like you is pretty much always in the task-focused mode, overworking your brian to stay engaged on something you must finish for work, all the while taking in an overload of information…

As we mentioned above, taking a break is good for your brain. Because you have got to let your brain daydream. Daniel J. Levitin, the director of the Laboratory for Music, Cognition and Expertise at McGill University and the author of “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload,” told the New York Times that giving our brains time to wind down and think about nothing at all can provide “our moments of greatest creativity and insight.”

4. Fact: The more vacations you take, the happier you’ll be.

As far as vacations go, the more the merrier. A study done at Erasmus University in Rotterdam found that among about 1,500 Dutch adults in which 974 of them took a vacation, those who took time off were happier than those who did not, mostly because they were excited in anticipation for their vacation. They also showed signs of slightly increased happiness for two weeks after they returned from vacation. So, the trick for success, says the study’s leader, Jeroen Nawijn, seems to be taking two or more short breaks spread out in the year rather than one massive vacation. Spread out that happiness!

5. Your performance review this year could be higher if you just go take your vacation.

All that happiness could pay off for you in major ways. An internal study was done by the Ernst & Young accounting firm found that for each additional 10 hours that an employee took for vacation, his or her performance review was 8 percent higher the next year. Who knew that some rest and relaxation could get you your next raise?

7. Bosses who take vacations return to work as more focused business leaders.

A survey by job recruiters at Korn/Ferry International discovered that 84 percent of over 250 executives have canceled a vacation due to pressures at work. That’s shocking. If you’re the head honcho, don’t think it’s impossible for you take a vacation. We know it’s hard to break yourself away from your work, but you make the rules, after all, and it’s proven that you’ll be better and enforcing those rules if you give yourself a little break.

Jennifer Deal, a researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership who has examined the way executives deal with taking vacations, told The Wall Street Journal that when bosses take time off they come back more creative and able to think about the long run future of the company better. If they don’t take a break, she says it’s extremely difficult for them to “see outside of the immediate whirlwind.”

8. Immersing yourself in new cultures and cuisines will give you a whole new array of ideas you can bring back to work.

Think of your vacation as a very relaxing and stress-free way to get some more work done. A study published in the US National Library of Medicine concludes that multicultural experiences help foster creativity and help generate ideas. However, this shouldn’t be working abroad. The study emphasizes that the experience will only promote creativity when the situation doesn’t call for “firm answers or existential concerns.”

BUT I CAN’T AFFORD A VACATION

 

 

 

 

 

Do not be caught out!
Instead of paying a company loads of money to pack you like sardines onto one of their charter flights to an overpopulated resort, then being ‘organised’ by their rep throughout your stay in a small hotel room take the DIY approach.

Stay rent-free in a private house with all the home comforts.

Plan your own itinerary.

Go home having rested, enjoyed your time away and having saved a lot of money.

How?

Use the worldwide services of Christian House Sitters.

You could be enjoying a rent-free vacation in one of the many houses that we get all over the world.

Also if you need someone honest, reliable and with references to look after your home and if necessary your pets while you are away. Even if you are not in one of our houses. We will help you find someone free-of-charge.

Will this work for you?

You will never know if you do not try

Have a look at our website www.Christian-housesitters.com

God bless you,

Ray

We are part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

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Research that could save your health, your job and your family.

A few days ago I was reading news about research into the habits of  UK workers and their annual holidays. (For readers in the USA read holiday as vacation).

I saw 2 different news reports that looked at the same problem from slightly different points of view. below are extracts from them and links to the original articles.

The first article showed that not taking leave is causing serious problems.

British workers left ‘stressed, rundown and depressed’
because they are not taking enough holiday time.

Overworked Brits are being left stressed, depressed and rundown
because they are not getting enough holiday time.
That’s based on research which claims a third of employees are left failing to take their annual holiday allowance ………….  Mark Cropley, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, added: “The research found that more than two thirds (68%) don’t get away for short breaks, however, mini breaks can be a great way to recharge the batteries, whether abroad or in the UK.
“Not only do they force us to distance ourselves physically from work, they can also give our brains a mental holiday and allow us to spend quality time with family and friends without the distraction of work.   http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-workers-left-stressed-rundown-7238571

The next article (dated 1st Nov 2017) tries to explain why leave time is not being taken.

Why UK Workers Are Not Taking All Their Annual Leave

The average worker in Britain still has six days to use up before the end of the year, which, if left unused, would mean a staggering 134 million wasted days as a nation. A third of employees have as many as 10 days still to use up, found the survey of 1000 workers by Jurys Inn.

The most common reason for having annual leave left? That’s also pretty surprising, given that being “like, ugh, so busy right now” has become a status symbol in our culture. The top explanation was not knowing what to do with the remaining days, the Mirror reported.

Other more optimistic employees (11%) purposely save up their holiday days until the end of the year with the aim of booking an exciting trip – only to find that by November there are no holidays available that tickle their fancy. A further 11% said they simply didn’t have enough money to spend on holidays.
If you’re among those with holiday still to use, with just two months of the year left, you may want to think about taking action or risk losing them altogether.   http://www.refinery29.uk/2017/11/179232/wasted-holiday-days-annual-leave-uk

DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE.

You need your annual leave.
Failing to take it will make your more likely to develop health problems, be less efficient at work and damage your family relationships

LET US HELP YOU.
That is what we are here for.

Join Christian House Sitters

As a registered house sitter you and your family will be offered a wide range of vacations all over the world. Totally rent-free.

But what about your home and pets? What will happen to them?

Again we can help. Register as a Home Owner (it is free) and we will help you find a suitable person to look after your home and pets free of charge.

Don’t delay. Be bold and take a major step towards a happier, healthier and more productive life.

If you would like to benefit from our service please have a look at the website CLICK HERE.

God bless you,
Ray

We are part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

 

 

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Sorry we don’t ……. but ….

Sorry

We do not have any of the houses pictured above available for you at the moment.
In fact, I have no idea who owns them or even where they are.
I saw them as I was browsing the internet and they gave me a chuckle. So I thought I would share them.

BUT

Even though we don’t have those houses we have a constant stream of rent-free houses all over the world being made available so if you are thinking about a vacation why not have a look at our website CLICK HERE

If you would like someone honest and reliable with references to look after your home and, if necessary your pets, while you are away we will be very happy to make your needs known to our members. It will not cost you anything.

(If by any chance you own one of the houses in the picture above I would love to hear from you.)

Why use our service?

• Christian House Sitters is not a money making business but a ministry to support the work and people of God.
• Christian House Sitters started in order to provide rent-free vacations for Christians and reliable House Sitters for home owners who need someone they can trust to look after their home, pets and garden.
• House owners do not pay anything to have their property listed.
• House sitters are only charged £25 per year and in return for this many enjoy numerous rent-free vacations each year.
• 100% of the income is used to support vulnerable children at the Home of Peace Christian Children’s Home in rural Kenya
• We all enjoy travelling to new places but accommodation can be very expensive.
• God designed us to take time off occasionally.
• We all need a holiday
• Our spiritual, mental and physical health benefits from having a break.
• We become more efficient as Christians and in our home and work lives.

Christian House Sitters can help you do this.

Christian House Sitters helps you reduce the cost of your vacation by offering rent-free accommodation.

For Home Owners leaving your house empty carries many risks. Through a free registration with Christian House Sitters we can help you go away feeling safe and secure knowing that your home is being looked after and if necessary your pets are being cared for and loved in their own home.

God bless you,

 

Ray

 

We are part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

 

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The Science Behind Vacations

I read some strange things. Today I was looking at an old copy of the International Business Times and saw an article that they published back in 2011.

It is important so I am reproducing the main body of the article below. Full details can be found at ibtimes.com/science-behind-vacations-why-we-need-break-299133

The Science Behind Vacations: Why We Need a Break

Let’s face it, you hate that person who comes back into the office after a vacation with a sunny smile and a deep tan. They feel rejuvenated, refreshed, reborn, but you just wish they would return to their cubicle and be quiet. But, before you go resenting them and their new lease on life, they may be onto something.

Research has discovered what we knew all along- we NEED a vacation.

More and more experts are urging workers to take full advantage of their vacation days to go someplace new, lie on a beach, read a book and do absolutely nothing- and not feel bad about it! Turns out, there’s some reasoning behind rediscovering the pleasure of napping in a hammock, swimming in the ocean and walking through the woods. These breaks from our everyday life have shown to be profoundly healing to our physiological and physical selves.

Vacations, whatever form they take, are a chance to unwind, regroup and take a step back to examine your life from a new place with a new perspective. Travelling, especially abroad or to a place we have never been before, allows us to temporarily leave our old life behind and adopt new customs, new ways of thinking and looking at the world that can cross over into our everyday lives.

Many people need the time and space away from what they experience every day in order to recognise harmful or self-destructive patterns in their life. Taking time to get away and visit a new place can highlight distinct lifestyle choices; when you are able to directly compare your life choices with others, you can come to a better understanding of your beliefs, practices and actions. By adding this perspective, you can see what you do like, and what, perhaps, you should change.

Another benefit to vacations is forcing you out of the daily rut that you have likely gotten into. Going to a new place can wake you up and shake up your sights, smells, tastes, and feelings. Experiencing all these new senses can help you to better appreciate the surroundings in your day to day life. Vacations can also help prevent burnout at home; by regularly taking the time to relax, you can prevent that overworked, under-rested feeling you know too well.

And what better way to experience these new senses than to simply let them wash over you as you sit back, relax and do absolutely nothing. When you do go on a vacation, take a break. Being idle is good for the mind, body and spirit. It is restorative, rejuvenating and, much like taking a long sleep, invigorates you to return to your life fully charged. A good vacation can help us to reconnect with ourselves, operating as a vehicle for self-discovery and helping us get back to feeling our best. This means no blackberries, no Internet and no working! You can’t take a break from work if you bring it with you.

Aside from your psychological well-being, your physical state can benefit from a few days off as well.

Research has uncovered a link between stress at work and overall well-being – and it’s not pretty! Trouble at work can lead to headaches, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, and can even cause a stroke.

The best way to combat these symptoms is to slow down the pace and take some time away from work. Vacations can help keep us healthy by lowering our stress levels that can lead to other problems. The effects of a good get-away can last for weeks, as some research has found that after just three days of vacation, subjects had less physical complaints, slept better and were in an overall better mood than before the vacation. These effects were still present up to five weeks later!

BUT THE COST!!!

Don’t worry.

We can help.

Christian House Sitters offers rent-free vacation accommodation to our members all over the world and if you need someone to look after your home and pets while you are away we can help there as well by finding someone suitable who will do it free of charge.

Full details are on our website CLICK HERE

God bless you,

Ray

 

Christian House Sitters
is part of the registered charity
TLC Children’s Trust
UK Charity number 1156786
www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

 

 

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Boost your immune system.

 Your immune system is your bodies defense against illness.

 

It is your protection against a host of potentially deadly problems

 

Today I was looking through the news on the BBC website and saw an article confirming something that I have said in these blogs on a number of occasions.

The BBC quoted research by Professor Fulvio D’Acquisto of the Queen Mary University in London. (you can read the full report at bbc.co.uk/news/health-37498719)

Here is an extract from the article.

The headline really says it all (For American readers holiday as used in this UK research means what you would call a vacation)

Prescribing holidays ‘could help fight infections’
30 September 2016
Sitting on the beach could be good for us and our immune system
Scientists are investigating whether prescribing holidays ……… might boost our immune system and help us to fight off disease.
In tests on mice, they discovered that sprucing up their living space, with a running wheel, toys and a colourful box, did wonders for their T cells.
These cells are essential for immunity and help to protect against disease.

Prof Fulvio D’Acquisto, lead study researcher from The Queen Mary University in London, said: “This effect is remarkable because we haven’t given them any drugs.
“All we’ve done is change their housing conditions.
“You could say that we’ve just put them in their equivalent of a holiday resort for two weeks and let them enjoy their new and stimulating surroundings.”  ………….. Prof D’Acquisto says research shows that there is a link between emotional response and immune response.
No-one yet knows how this works but one theory is that heightened emotion makes bone marrow perform better, which in turn receives more nutrients, boosting the body’s immune system……………….

I’m boosting my immune system – Why not join me?

Boost your immune system. Have a look at our website and see how you can enjoy a rent-free holiday and how, without any charge we can also, if needed, arrange for your home and pets to be looked after while you are away.

If you would like to benefit from our service please have a look at the website. CLICK HERE.

God bless you,
Ray

Christian House Sitters

is part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

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Pets Left At Home Alone

I love animals and always enjoy a good laugh so I was delighted to get a few pictures showing what animals can get up to when they are left alone.

I can’t credit the photographers as I have no idea who took them.

I would like to say that they were emailed to me by a dog who was complaining that his family had gone on vacation and left him behind.

Yes a paid sitter pops in twice a day for about half an hour but according to him that is simply not good enough. He says he is part of the family and feels unloved and confused by being ‘abandoned’

As a result when his owners get home they could expect something like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes you do deserve a vacation!
No it is not always suitable to take your pets with you.
Yes being at home is normally less stressful to them than being dumped in kennels or a cattery.
But it can still be stressful.
So what is the answer?

One easy answer is to use our FREE service. Wherever you live in the world we will be happy to try to arrange for a reliable person to come and stay in your home, look after the home and your animals. Yes that is right it will not cost you anything as i said it is a free service.

Likewise if you would like to travel but find accommodation too expensive we can help you find rent-free accommodation looking after other people’s homes and pets while they are away and so enabling you to travel and have vacations you may otherwise not have been able to afford.

For full details have a look at our website www.Christian-housesitters.com

God bless you,

Ray

Christian House Sitters is part of the registered charity

TLC Children’s Trust

UK Charity number 1156786

www.tlc-childrenstrust.org

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Seeing life differently.

Those of you who’ve been following this blog will know that I have been waiting for an operation on my eye. I had it yesterday.

I am thrilled with the result but it is going to take some time to adjust.

All my life I have been shortsighted and have therefore had to wear glasses in order to do everything. Even though I have worn them for almost 60 years I have never liked wearing glasses. They cause problems in the rain and they are just a bit of a pain at times but I have got used to them.

Over the years my shortsightedness has got progressively worse until I could only see clearly for about 8 inches in front of my face. Anything beyond that I needed my glasses.

To make things slightly more difficult I started to develop cataracts in both eyes and have been waiting for them to mature and then be removed.

The operation I had yesterday was to remove the cataract from my left eye but the hospital now do things somewhat differently. They not only removed the cataract but they actually removed the entire lens from my eye and replaced it with an artificial lens adjusted to my prescription to give me perfect distance vision with that eye.

As result I can now see very clearly from the horizon until about 3 feet from my face. I don’t think I have ever seen as clearly. The operation itself was not at all traumatic and I am delighted with the result.

I still need to have my right eye done. I understand that the waiting list for this will be a few months as they have to wait one month after doing the first eye to check on its progress before booking the appointment for the second eye.

The result is that I can now see clearly for the first 8 inches from my face through my right eye after which everything becomes out of focus and I can see from about 3 feet away to the horizon through my left.

This leaves a gap from about 8 inches to 3 feet where I can’t see clearly with either eye.

That is a little awkward as I need vision in that particular area in order to work the computer, run Christian housesitters, do my duties as a church treasurer, preaching etc.

I’ve been experimenting today and find that the best solution, at the moment, is to put an eye patch over my repaired left eye and then put on my old glasses which enables my right eye to see for those tasks. Now all I need is a parrot on my shoulder and I will be a bona fides pirate.

Thank you for everyone who has sent messages of support and prayers. God has done a wonderful job, as he always does, and I am thrilled with the results of yesterday’s operation.

I would still appreciate your prayers for the next couple of months that the appointment for my second eye will come through quickly and that I will find the best way to do those jobs which require vision in the section where I am at present still having problems.

God bless you,

Ray.

 

 

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