We all talk about vacations and weekend getaways for much-needed relaxation, but what else can a little time off do for you? Just coming back from vacation myself, I was surprised by how much I really gained in such a short time.
I know, I know, as if we need more reason to take time off from the hustle and bustle of life. However, it’s uncommon (here in the states) that we actually do so. Whether it’s our Puritan work ethic or our need to make our American dreams a reality, it’s just too easy to keep plugging away.
I had long weekends here and there throughout the year, thinking that would be “enough of a vacation” to keep me going and give me the rest I needed. It wasn’t until I took a little more time off that I started having revelations I wouldn’t have had from a mere three-day weekend…
1. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
It wasn’t until I had more than a few days off that I felt totally removed from my everyday life. This doesn’t happen with a quick trip, this comes with a series of consecutive days off forcing you into a different reality. There is something powerful that happens when you decide to walk away from your life as you know it. I’m not talking about taking time off and staying at home where your reality continues to surround you (responsibilities, bills, a house to clean, people to see, etc.). I’m talking about traveling away from the life you know, where you are forced to (somewhat) forget your troubles and connect with what’s in the moment, and quite possibly foreign.
This gives you a perspective you would never have in your own surroundings. Being exposed to different places, people, sites, cultures, and even foods is quite frankly educational. When forced to adapt to various realities and circumstances, you gain perspective; a knowledge how to do things differently, and in all reality how to see through the eyes of someone else (i.e. a different perspective).
2. GUIDANCE & DIRECTION
What comes with perspective naturally is guidance and direction. With added or even different perspective, you’re able to analyze your own personal circumstance. Ask yourself, how have I been doing things all along? What am I seeing differently during my time off? With travel, I find being immersed in a different culture is refreshing, exposes you to diversity, and opens you up to new ways of thinking.
3. INTUITION & CLARITY
Kind of the same thing as guidance and clarity, but not. Traveling, whether it be a foreign country or the next town away, we are forced into the current moment and thrust out of our “element”. Being unfamiliar with our surroundings, we simply must adjust; we have no choice. Enter in intuition and clarity. It simply happens without really trying when you’re out of routine. Finding somewhere to eat, stay, or see is instinctual to meeting our basic needs (i.e. “survival mode”). Intuition kicks in and the simplicity can be in turn applied to your daily life at home. Decisions while traveling are off-the-cuff; you’re improving all day long and making decisions quickly. Shall we go here? Eat over there? Walk that side of town? With so many decisions to make each day throughout your trip, the concerns at home seem less overwhelming, making us feel we can champion any circumstance.
4. INNER CALM
Walking away from everything we know can be stressful at first but eventually downright calming. The thought of not answering emails right away, skipping work meetings, and letting calls go to voicemail may make you cringe. Getting into the state of mind that “it can wait” can bring peace. I find letting things go or the need to control any circumstance not only feels oddly soothing, but it also brings peace. When traveling, you feel light-hearted and the weight we put on everything in our lives is not as heavy as we once thought.
5. JOY
With perspective, guidance, clarity, and an inner peacefulness, joy is present. How are you to enjoy life without first fully relaxing into it? What do I mean? I’ll give you an example. It often takes me a few days to realize I’m on vacation and in a different space altogether. Once I’ve softened into relaxation mode, I actually enjoy myself. I laugh, listen, sleep and speak with an intensity that only exists when fully immersed in my experience.
6. JE NE SOIS QUOI
When you’re feeling on top the world, the world notices. With a little love and attention, a wilted flower will once again be a vibrant bloom. A little time off will revive your senses, inspire new thoughts and fill your aura with a gaiety everyone will notice. It’s addicting to be around because it’s positive and stimulating. Your vibrancy will only inspire others to take that extra time off as well.
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