When stress is high and workloads are heavy, taking a vacation might seem to be something to put off…and put off. The truth is that when we are in a place of great tension, our attention constricts to just getting through what is in front of us. This mentality interferes with our ability to take a 10,000 feet view to see our own big picture and realize that continuing to deplete ourselves with never-ending work is counterproductive. Taking a vacation or some kind of break, allows the body and the brain to unwind and renew. But here’s the thing, your mind will tell you otherwise. The thought that you should just keep working is actually the brain getting stuck.
Sometimes we need a drastic change and sometimes we need a more gradual approach to creating space to have a break. Just thinking about what would work best for you starts the process. Consider the different type of vacation below and see what resonates.
Active: Engages your mind completely on something other than work because it is an all-in physical experience. Imagine adventures such as hiking, mountain biking, sailing, snorkeling, camping, kayaking or paddle boarding.
Unplugged: Highly recommended for the depleted and for those in need of re-setting natural bodily rhythms. Think of days lying on the beach, retreats where you can disconnect from electronics or spending time outdoors with the cell phone left inside.
Semi-unplugged: Research has shown that some employees report feeling that staying connected to work over vacation allows them to better relax because they won’t be dreading the truckload of emails that awaits on the first day back. If that is the case for you, what would allow for time to engage in work processes but also gets you away from work for the better part of the day and night? The most important element here is to define boundaries of when it is “work time”. These should be short segments. This allows for the re-juicing of the batteries via day trips, limited excursions and unstructured time doing whatever gives you peace and/or fun.
De-cluttering: Tired of feeling like things are a mess? Try purposely using your vacation as a chance to turn your attention onto you and your home environment. Here you can weed your garden in peace, clear out the closet you can’t find anything in or to purge your cupboards of junk food while focusing on what you need to know to eat a cleaner and healthier diet. These breaks do have a goal of your returning to work in a calmer state, feeling like you created some order out of chaos.
Soul Food: This downtime is defined by asking what fills you at the soul level such as spiritual retreats, space to connect back to your creative pursuits, quality visits with favorite friends and family or spending time supporting charitable projects that give you a sense of bettering the world.
Other Worldly: Leaving what is familiar and travelling to other lands can usually satisfy the bucket list and your psyche. Immersing yourself in another culture by travelling abroad literally lights up the brain. Just give yourself time to rest through any jet lag.
Loosely if not definitely, plan ahead. During the course of a year you may seek different things. For instance, an active break in July might serve well along with a silent spiritual retreat weekend in October to fill you wellspring. Never underestimate the power that a good break will give you.