5 Reasons Why Vacations are So Important

Is that burnout feeling bubbling up?🔥

Feeling stuck in a rut?

Need some inspiration? A breath of fresh air? Some sunlight?

It is probably time for a vacation!

Us humans are far too accustomed to our never-ending rat race.

Bigger, faster, more...all day, every day.

It is time to learn the skill of rest and recovery!

Vacations are a great way to do that!

Sure, I hear ya - Covid has thrown us a curveball on the old vacation front lately. It is SUPER annoying to not have absolute freedom to go and do whatever our heart desires. I get it.

But...

What if we look at this as a way to step outside the box with our vacations?

Or even redefine what a vacation is?🤔

Maybe you aren't able to fly to your favorite beach, or you don't feel comfortable at your favorite hotel. Maybe you can't go to the sporting games you love or the concerts that fill your soul.

But what if you could rent a VBO or Airbnb and do a semi-local staycation with the hubby...or maybe better yet...a couple good girlfriends? Maybe you kick the kids, dogs, and hubby out of the house for a camping trip - and you have a stay-at-home camping trip of your own...with mimosas, Netflix, bubble baths, and your favorite music blaring through your house...of course. I guess you could throw in some s'mores too, if you really want the "camping" experience.🤪

Maybe, just maybe, that is one of the good aspects of this whole Covid experience...we can get a stark reminder that life doesn't last forever and we never know what is coming around the bend.

If we are going to be reminded of how precious life is, we can also use this as an opportunity to remind ourselves that there is really no reason to work ourselves to death. There will always be another list, another deadline, and more work.

You don't have to throw your paycheck out the window or quit your job...you just have to get a bit creative and a lot more certain that we are all here to do more than just work.

If we don't start putting our rest, recovery, wellness, and joy higher on our priority list...that is what is actually going to happen...we will WORK OURSELVES TO DEATH!

Here are some signs that you need a vacay:

Never-ending exhaustion, every work project takes longer than it should because your brain feels foggy, your snappy and short with your coworkers and especially your family when you get home, you can't even stand the idea of cooking one more dinner, you hit snooze several times in the morning, or you feel like you are stuck in Groundhog Day.

Set yourself free! Even if it is for one day!!!! Plan it. Set boundaries for that day. Have tons of relaxation and fun ALL DAY LONG!

If you do...you may just reap these 5 rewards...

1. Shake up the Routine: Workout, Coffee, Work, Dinner, Wine, Bad Night of Sleep...Repeat. If you feel like each and everyday is so predictable that you could set a timer to each activity...it is time to shake up the routine! It is so much fun to go on vacay and eat different food, get your daily movement in a different way, try new activities, meet new people, buy yourself some presents, change your sleep pattern, etc. It is like you are a kid in a candy store and your mom hands you a $20! This shake up in your routine might teach you that you really don't love coffee anymore and you'd much rather drink tea a few days a week - because you found this cute tea shop on your trip. Maybe you decide you are going to cook more Mexican food at home - since you fell in love with enchiladas on your trip. Fresh. New. Awesomeness!

2. Reconnect w/Yourself, Loved Ones, Nature...or all of the above: Even if we are going on a trip that I am not the most thrilled by...I do really enjoy the time in the car with my husband (when I am not asleep...hehehe!). We finally get to chat - without the TV in the background or exhausted after a long day's work. We come up with things we may want to do on our trip and even finally get time to bring up longer conversations...and then I usually take another nap...ha! Don't worry - my husband gets a chance to listen to his favorite sports radio when I'm napping.😉 Maybe you are also meeting friends or loved ones...or making new friends on your trip. Maybe you get to absorb some Vitamin D, go for a walk, try out a new hotel gym, put your feet in the sand on a beach, or hike in the woods. Nature cures lots of things!!!

3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Live in the city? Maybe you get a chance to check out rural life. Work in banking and with numbers all day? Maybe you can go to an art gallery. Cooped up under fluorescent lights all day? Maybe you can spend the whole day in the fresh air. Used to interacting with hundreds of people each day? Maybe you could have a day filled with quiet...and maybe a good podcast or two. We are always so busy doing what we always do...that we don't get the time to see if we might like something new/better.

4. Anonymity: This is my favorite part of vacations! I love being able to go to a store, drink a large beer at a good brewery, wear whatever outfit I want...and not worry about running into anyone! I feel like when you get a chance to be anonymous for a bit, you get a really good opportunity to feel like the "real" you...even if "she" is pretty much the same as normal "you." It is the whole "I get the house to my self today" concept. It is all about freedom.

5. Make Yourself and Your Joy/Wellness a Priority: You are probably a very good person, who tries to live a life of moderation, but boy - it is fun to pull the reigns back on the limits some time! Go out to eat twice in one day. Get dessert. Walk for an extra hour just because it is nice out and you don't have to look at the clock. Wear the high-heeled boots out to dinner - because you will be mostly sitting anyway. Do what brings you joy! Maybe you get 15 minutes to have a wonderful chat with a stranger because you aren't being crushed by the clock. Maybe you get to sleep in for an extra hour because your dog (also known as your alarm clock) isn't waiting for you to flinch. Be well. Recharge. Reboot.

In summary...

There will always be more work. We never know how much time we are blessed with on this earth. Take the vacation. Plan for the home staycation "camping" trip. Your wellness is important. Scratch that. It is crucial. Unlearn the toxic traits you have formed - of working yourself to death.

Be Well - Dear Ones. - Sage (Growth Coach)