Do You Need a Vacation?
Remember during the recession of 2008-09 we use to call the stay-at-home vacation – Stacation? … well, in 2020 with the pandemic raging as we face colder months, and the fact that the last 8 months have had many restrictions – including reduced travel, if we traveled at all… what should we call a vacation now? … Pandemacation? Covidacation? Wear-a-Mask-cation? SixFeetAcation… You decide but regardless, we all need a vacation from the routine we’ve created in the last 8 months.
Many of you already: cleaned the house, got rid of junk, cleaned up files, organized drawers, got creative with many projects, learned to cook, learned to make sourdough bread, read books… and much more, since I’m sure I missed things that either you or I did these last 8 months. But now, what do we do for the 2nd act?
For starters, may I suggest you notify friends and family of your upcoming week that you will be offline – no email, no social media, and no texting. Otherwise, people will be interrupting your time off. OMG, what on earth are you going to do? You are going to take a vacation!
Worry much? And you’re probably worrying about what you’ll do on your vacation. Stop worrying! We can’t control world events… we can only control what we personally can change. And, what we can change is our response to what goes on around us. Embrace the opportunity to relax.
Make sure you sleep in. Give yourself a break… for the week. No appointments, only rest. And feel free to take any naps during the day as well.
Take stock of what you didn’t get done the last 8 months and pick 2-3 things to work on in the next couple of months. I’m not sure you should pick one in particular to work on during your vacation… it’s a week of rest and relaxation, not a time for busyness.
So here are 8 things to consider doing during your upcoming vacation:
1.Turn off the TV… not just the news but all those shows you watch that create a mindless waste of time and energy. During your vacation, it’s time to be mindful instead of mindless.
2.Find a new walking trail not yet discovered. Bring a mask with you in case you encounter anyone along the path. And, walk every day on your vacation… even if it’s around the block.
3.Catch up on your reading… do you have more books to read? Consider reading a genre you’re not familiar with or never read before.
4.Take a day at the beach. Regardless of where you live, you probably have some body of water nearby. Go and walk the beach by the ocean, lake, river or stream.
5.Take a sunny day and sit at the pool to get some good ole natural Vitamin D. No Pool? Sit in your backyard. Too cold? Put a coat on and get those rays during the warmest part of the day – between noon and 2 pm.
6.If you haven’t done so already… learn to meditate. Even if you just focus on your breath for five minutes, it helps immensely with reducing worry, stress and helps with relaxation, improves your heart rate and offers many other health benefits.
7. Learn some basic yoga stretches… this also helps with daily stress and creates flexibility as we age.
8. Journal every morning – minimum 15 minutes each day. Facing a blank page in your journal? Write about your resistance to take a week off – from everything. Your journal will reveal a lot about your resistance to taking time off.
Let me know how your vacation went… I’ll be anxious to hear.
Stay healthy and wear a mask!
Love and Hugs,
Rosemary Augustine
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