July 30, 2015

I used to feel exhausted from vacations. The sun and travel is nice. However, after the trip I felt like I needed another vacation just to feel relaxed again.

If you know the feeling, I’d like to share with you my 3 step process for feeling refreshed from vacation instead of exhausted from it. Word of warning though: You are not going to like what I have to say. So before we go on, think on it a minute. What would it be like to go on vacation, and feel alive, excited, and relaxed? How would it feel to let go of the worries, and smile every morning when you wake up? What is the price you would pay to be happier, less tense, more confident, and still in control when you returned to work after say a week out of the office? Think about it, because if it’s not worth much to you, neither is what I have to say because quite frankly you won’t follow through. I know you won’t. Donuts to dollars, you aren’t ready.

Ok. Deep breath.

Step 1:

The first step to feeling refreshed after vacation instead of exhausted is [drum roll]: Turn off your phone while you are gone.

That’s literally it. Turn it off. If you use it for your camera, like I do, keep it in airplane mood, and keep the Wi-fi off.

Now I know I already sound like an insane person, but believe me we’re going to go full Looney Tunes by the time I’m done here, Daffy Duck style! Let’s address your concerns, which I’m assuming are:

• Work
• Staying in touch with family/friends
• Emergencies
• Current events
• Facebook

Now I like to procrastinate, and put off difficult work as long as possible so lets see if we can’t knock out the easy points first.

Facebook

Really? … Really? If you have a choice between more happiness, more contentment, and a lower knee-jerk stress response, OR facebook make the right choice. Post your pics when you get back like people have done since the invention of slide projectors. Make the right choice. Nuff said. Moving on.

Current Events

If the world ends while you are away, you’ll know it. Anything less than that can wait a week. Learn to let go. Learn to divert all that attention to getting to know yourself, and those with you, and you’ll never stop thanking yourself. Let your brain find a baseline for reality again without the news, and internet skewing what you believe to be “normal.” Live through your own events.

Staying in Touch with Friends and Family

Sorry, but staying in touch with your friends is kind of like facebook- shouldn’t be a big deal. Family is another story, and for those of your with kids, you’re on your own here. (I don’t have children, and don’t give parenting advice. Go with your gut.) Everyone else grab some laffy taffy, and get ready for Daffy, because when it comes to the rest of your family, I don’t want you to talk to them. Seriously. Stop it. When I travel without my girlfriend she doesn’t hear a word from me for a week. Longer trips might get an email. Yeah. Does that upset her? Yeah, probably. Does that make me a horrible person. I don’t think so. Because, here’s the thing, this is important. Do not underestimate the importance of getting away from everything, and getting a proper recharge. Furthermore, when we do travel together, the same rules apply, and she gets my undistracted attention. If you must, send a check-in text that you arrived safely. After that mothers, fathers, and significant others will survive. They may love you deeply, but take the ego down a notch. They will be just fine without you for a week. I promise I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve never encountered any lasting resentment from this practice.

Work

They approved your vacation didn’t they? Then you are out of the building, off the clock, and further unreachable. If you manage other people, proper training, and clear communication of who to contact (your boss, or another manager) go a long way. Take the time while you are at work to train, and empower your team to temporarily fill in the gap. This exercise is worth your time, and will not only allow them to function while you are away, but also be more effective when you aren’t. They will be fine.

Emergencies

Before my last trip I convinced myself that my new homeowner’s insurance was going to cancel my policy while I was away. (They hadn’t finished their inspection yet, and I’m a bit paranoid at times.) So what did I do? I turned off my phone, and went of vacation. Because nothing tragic, unexpected, and irreversible happens in a week! Furthermore, most likely you are never truly unreachable. This goes for work too. Going to a resort, foreign country, cruise, or anywhere in the USA? You are not unreachable. My family always know where I will be staying. If something truly awful [read medical emergency] happened while I was away they know how to reach me. Getting a cell call at 2pm, or a message from the hotel when I’m back at 7pm isn’t going to make a difference. Be realistic.

Step 2: Rest Day

At least one day at home before returning to work makes all the difference in the world. If you need that last day to see everything you want to, use it. However understand that you aren’t taking a relaxing holiday, you are turning it itself into an obligation. However hard you try, you cannot pack a lifetime of experiences into a day. That should not be the goal.

Having a rest day allows your system to reset back to the normal world. You can normalize any sleep disruptions, get back in touch with your family, and post all those pictures. It also prevents that crummy feeling the last day, or two of vacation of “Ugghh, I have to go back to work tomorrow.” Save that stuff for home.

Step 3: Hit the Ground Running

The the basic premiss of the whole first half of this plan was vacation is vacation, treat it as such. Well the last premiss is work is work, treat it as such too. Don’t moan, and groan that work is coming, and “whoa is me.” Of course it is. You planned a vacation not a hiatis. Hitting the ground running will help you to feel strong, and confident  as you get back to work. It will also help to keep your stress response from going into overdrive at the first obstacle because you will remember that you are not on vacation, it will be difficult, but you can handle it!

What Would it be Like to Go on Vacation, and Feel Alive, Excited, and Relaxed?

I didn’t say you were going to like the plan. However, you have to decide what price is worth it to you to actual enjoy your vacation. How much do we pay, and strategize in the attempt to relax? How much productivity, and fulfillment do you lose at work because you never truly unwind when you are away? How can we be present for our families at home when our mind is constantly torn in 5 different directions? Wouldn’t it be nice to change all that? Follow these steps to feeling refreshed after vacation, and you can.

And if you need to, reread this right after you land in paradise.

Relax. Take a deep breath. Now, turn off your phone.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Venture to Dream my friends!

-Michael Speck

What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

1 Comment

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