We all need a vacation from time to time. As stated in earlier posts, it is important to take breaks and to have fun. It is important that we don’t overwork ourselves so that we can be refreshed and ready to work when we get back. There are wrong and right ways to do a vacation so that you can come back and be refreshed.
What Not To Do on Vacation
- Go crazy and try to do too many things.Vacation should be about rest and relaxation. While it is good to go sightseeing and visit places you never have been before. Cramming too many activities into one trip can make it more stressful than you regular life. You can come back from vacation needing a vacation from the vacation.
- Consuming too much. While your diet may go out the window during vacation, it doesn’t have to. It’s OK to splurge a bit on different foods and have a few extra snacks, but it’s best not to go overboard on your intake because not only will you probably not feel too good for a diet that is much different. If so it will hard to get back to the way you were before.
- Stay conncted to work or non-vacation problems. Emails may come in at all times of the day and night, any day of the week, and on holidays. You may need to make a conscious choice to ignore the emails and any other communications that are not related to your vacation. Depending on your work situation, you may or may not need to communicate to your boss and/or subordinates that you are on vacation and that is it.
- Worry about everything you have to do when you get back. It is difficult to clear your head these days, especially since we are always connected. Worrying about what is on your to do list isn’t going to get it done. It will just cause your vacation to be less enjoyable and those items will still on the list anyway.
What To Do on Vacation
- Have Fun. You are on vacation to have fun and do things you don’t normally do. Take advantage of this time because we normally are only on vacation for a small part of the year. This is the time to make the most of your time and create some of the greatest memories in your life.
- Still stay as close to your routine as possible. Keep your body and mind on a schedule still. If you eat three meals a day, still eat three meals a day. If you brush your teeth, then your hair, and shave, continue to do so in that order. At least this is what works for me. This will avoid unnecessarily anxiety of being out of your routine and also save time deciding what to do.
- Plan ahead. Plan activities ahead of time, or at least at the beginning of the vacation. This will save time of trying to figure out the same day, and will also ensure that you will get to do what you really want to do, especially in the case where you are booking something that can be sold out. Speaking for myself, I am much more comfortable when I know what I am going to be doing, this may not be the case for everyone as many people are more spontaneous.
- Be Spontanteous. While this counters the last two points, while on vacation it is important to be spontaneous as well and not have a rigid schedule. Like anything else, there needs to be a balance also to have the best time possible. This is the “life” part of work-life balance, which needs to be balanced as well for the maximum benefit and so you as refreshed as possible and much more productive when you get back to work.
Everyone needs a vacation and summer time is a very popular time to take a vacation, small trips, day trips, long weekends, etc. Just like every aspect of our life, maximizing our vacation time and getting the most out of it will have the largest benefit for the rest of our life. I love having time off and going places that I enjoy and having the opportunity to do something that I don’t normally do. It is great to be able to push the reset button and be refreshed. I hope that wherever you are headed this summer, whether it’s a long vacation or a short trip, or a few short trips like I am taking. Thanks again for your support in this blog and I hope you all are having an excellent summer.