Ahh.. the serenity..
Having recently taken a proper holiday, after several very busy years, I would like to spruik the incredible benefit of allowing ourselves time off.
It’s incredible, people, incredible!
Honestly, I feel like a new person – even though, looking in the mirror, it appears I’m still the same.
So… why don’t we do this more often? Certainly some do – and I offer a congratulatory high-five to this bunch. But so many of us don’t! I’m waggling my finger at you (us) all.
Look, I agree, certain factors such as work, bills, family, study, etc. are pretty good reasons as to why it can be hard to have time off. But it seems to me that too many of us don’t give ourselves the chance to take a break – even a small one.
I find this in the clinic all the time. Particularly as a lot of the folk I deal with are busy, high-achieving, inner-city types. You know the ones: always on the go, heaps to do, deadlines looming, schedules crammed, expectations sky-high, pressure ever-mounting, burnout nigh… yeah, that’s them.
Um… delicious
Perhaps it’s not realistic to take weeks (or months!) off at a time – and that is a-ok, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got.
How about 1-2 days a month? Or a couple of hours a week?
While a holiday* itself is pretty excellent, it’s actually the break from everyday life that is the most therapeutic aspect of time off.
Time away from the usual routine allows us to rest, recharge our batteries, reconnect with the practices and people we enjoy most, and get just enough distance to appreciate the manic pattern of events that furnish our lives.
I feel like an evangelist, preaching the power of the holiday. No fire and brimstone for me please, just some sunshine and sleep-ins should do the trick.
Amen to that.
* Holiday = getting away from the usual routine … and fitting in a few adventures while you’re at it.