I Think it is Time for a Vacation...
While jetting off to some tropical land is not be possible right now, finding a way to move into a vacation mindset is likely overdue for most of us. The overall energy this week felt like one of exhaustion. March and April are traditionally times when people look forward to easing the doldrums of winter. Be it a trip to a sunny beach, a western ski slope or just a stroll to appreciate the greening grass, spring flowers and blue sky, this was where we were headed mentally and physically when WHAM! STAY-AT-HOME!
Suddenly thrust into overdrive with unforeseen business challenges, juggling kids at home or processing the anxiety of being furloughed or laid off, our spirits, emotions and reserves are drained. We smacked into these behavior shifts like mosquitos on the windshield at 60 mph.
Many people I have spoken with talked about how they are working endless hours. With communication needs at an all-time high, time zones no longer have meaning. Work has no boundaries just rolling from early to late, logging far too many hours looking at screens. Those not working are anxious, searching for structure and scanning the news for evidence of a return to “normalcy.”
It’s time to schedule a day off from all of it. Take a long weekend. Commit to not thinking about the pandemic, your work or lack of work for 24 hours. No phones. No emails. No news. If you have the luxury of finding outdoor space, find it and go there – for hours. Be in nature. If you don’t have that luxury – then bring a new kind of energy into your home. Pile the furniture against a wall and have a picnic on your living room floor. Host a zoom dance party. Channel Jimmy Buffett and haul out the flamingos for a trip to Margaritaville. Give yourself a spa day in your own home. Commit to having a vacation mindset for at least 24 hours. If you can do more than that – do it. A vacation mindset is different than a weekend mind set. The list of “to-dos” is a list of regeneration, restoration and relaxation. I urge you to give yourself this gift. The alternative will not sustain your best thinking.
Step away from the new routine you have created. Shift and reenergize your spirit. Staycations have never been so fashionable or so important. Where will yours lead you? Share your ideas to help others find that mindset.
Happy Friday everyone! Hope it’s the start of a long weekend.
Stay well,
Paula
