Believe it or not, being on vacation can be difficult. Especially for those of us raised in cultures where a high work ethic is drilled into us from an early age. Taking a vacation has to be well-earned and well-deserved; not taken too often and certainly not done whimsically. Our North American culture makes vacations a challenge as we are always connected, wired and available via phone, text and email. I was determined to resist all of that and just be on vacation.
After settling in at the resort, I walked and explored the different neighbourhoods. I went swimming and worked on my tan. I even spent some time in the gym and rediscovered my love of fitness. I was on a vacation high!
I enjoyed spending time with friends but by day four, I was done! I woke up wondering what was happening in the rest of my life and started responding to emails, texts and messages. It seemed to me that the little bit of rest and relaxation I got in the first few days had unleashed a well of creativity that I had to utilize immediately. I wanted to get back to work right away and thought about what I could do remotely.
THEN I GOT IT.
Being on vacation is an opportunity to rest, relax and be bored. In my everyday life, I am constantly in action. Even resting has activity involved like trying to complete on unfinished knitting projects or whatnot. But being on vacation and exercising my body while my mind was engaged in wonder of my environment gave me the freedom to create, to percolate and to surface new ideas which I may never have come up with in my usual busy day-to-day efforts.
So think you can’t leave work behind to take off for a week of vacation? Consider that your work will feel easier and more joyful and you will be more efficient when you return from vacation. You cannot afford to NOT take a vacation. And yes, you probably have earned it.
Turn on all your electronic auto-responses, be prepared to decline all calls, texts and messages. Post only to social media but look at nothing (we still want to see your live feed photos), load up the e-reader and catch up on some rejuvenating R & R. When you get back to work, just watch your creativity soar!