In this day in age, we all just need to unplug from the day to day routine periodically. Turn off laptops, phone devices, tablets, ebooks, stop taking work calls and disconnect for awhile. I did this last week while on vacation at the seashore and when I returned to civilization, I felt so good. It was liberating to spend a week away from the interruptive technology of my daily routine. Losing the feeling that compels me to check email and reply to clients disappeared for several days. Admittedly, I had a personal mobile phone with me but I even left that in my bedroom or my purse to give myself a break. I tried to be productive while I was on vacation, however, that was a futile effort. My brain was refusing to participate in anything productive such as reading a book, writing, doing a crossword. My brain was fried even though my body was ready to get out. My brain won over and I barely did anything except focus on what I would eat for lunch each day. On my first day of vacation, I sat on the porch unable to move. I spent the entire day sitting on the porch, planning to head to the beach though I made no movement to do so. I finally gave up on plans to move off the porch around 4pm. Why fight it? Sitting back with my feet up was working just fine. By the end of the week, I realized it was the first week of good sleep I had had in awhile. 11pm – 7am every day and no feeling of dread or angst about the work day ahead. Instead, I feel totally at ease (cue Lionel Ritchie), easy like Sunday morning. That comes to mind because I woke up several times wondering what day it was as every day felt like Sunday. Relaxed, low key and lazy.
Some people are really good at taking vacation, I am guilty of ending up with unused days at the end of every year. I follow a blog ( one of many) and the writer advises looking at the calendar at beginning of the year and planning vacation time ahead. I now understand why she advises this though it has taken me awhile to see the value. Everyone needs a break and it you wait too long to do it, it requires a lot more rest and relaxation to get back to “normal.” If you wait to long, you end up crunched for time and with leftover vacation days.
That is all I have to say for now. My brain is still in vacation mode. When I returned to work today, I felt like a fish swimming upstream as a week away took away my stride. However, I was much more patient with myself and everything requiring my attention. Planning time off before the end of the year is on the list.
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