Vacation Time!

Regardless of the type of work you do, vacation time is a necessity: it increases your chances of living a longer, healthier life. How does it do that? Well, time off gives you a chance to sleep in, relax, unwind, and de-stress. All of these things, done regularly, can result a healthier life.

Some jobs allow a certain number of paid vacation days per year, which makes it much easier to take time off. Other jobs include no paid vacation, and there may or may not be permitted days off, which of course makes it hard to impossible for a person to take vacation time. I have suggestions for both situations.

If you love to work, or if you work at a job that does not have a good vacation policy, you may not take enough time off. Remember, nothing in your life will bring back missed opportunities. Work is not everything. A vacation is often a time for families to reconnect, to get to know each other and create happy memories together. This is something you don’t want to miss out on. Healthy relationships do increase your chances of living a healthier life, so use your vacation to reconnect with those you love.

If you’re single, vacation time gives you an opportunity to get out of the work

environment and meet new people. Who knows where you might meet your perfect match? Vacations can be built around places you’ve always wanted to go, or hobbies you already enjoy. Don’t hesitate to travel alone; if you’re not comfortable with that, go with a group tour. Build your own library of adventure tales to share with the family you’ll have someday.

Many people have such a sense of responsibility about their careers that they feel they can’t leave their jobs for long enough to take a vacation. I know how that feels—as a doctor, it’s very difficult for me to take time off without feeling as if I’m leaving my patients alone for too long. I do take time off though, because I know rest and relaxation is necessary for anyone who wants to remain focused, productive and happy in their job.  If you feel like you can’t take time off, do it anyway, just once, You’ll be amazed to see how well your co-workers get along without you. Just remember that time off from work gives you an opportunity to come back renewed and rejuvenated, with a fresh outlook and fresh ideas. Just warn your co-workers before you leave that when you return your productivity will be increased and they are going to have to be ready to keep up!

A friend told me that she hated to take time off because there was always a mess to deal with when she got back, and that was so stressful that it canceled out the joy of the vacation. If this is the case for you, please talk to your co-workers, project leader, or boss,

and find out what the problem is. If a company can’t survive an employee’s leaving for a week without having a huge mess to clean up, something is wrong with the company design or execution, and your boss may not be aware that there is such a problem. No company wants to be so dependent on one employee; hopefully, they’ll thank you for bringing it to their attention. Is this going to make you seem expendable? It’s more likely to make you more of a team player, an innovative thinker who can identify problems of which management may not be aware.

Now that you’ve decided to take a vacation, what should you do? Well, if you can afford a week in some exotic location, go for it! But don’t spend the whole week running from one tourist adventure to another. Make sure you spend a few days just lounging, so you can return rested. If you come back needing to rest up from your vacation, you probably did too much.

I recommend that you plan to arrive back home at least twenty-four hours before you must return to work. No one wants to jump off a plane, hop into a taxi, and go right to the office. Give yourself time to unpack and rest before going back to work, especially if you’ve crossed time zones on your return trip, or had a long road trip to return home.

Maybe you feel you can’t afford a vacation. Maybe your time off is unpaid. If so, at least take a Monday or a Friday off, so you can have a long weekend. Maybe at your job, your Monday is actually Wednesday, so take that day off. The point is, give yourself three days off in a row. During that time, don’t communicate with work or with anyone from work. The idea is to get away from it all, even if it’s for just a few days—to change your routine and do something you love, something new and different.

Create a theme for your time off. Maybe it can be a “spa weekend” —over the course of those few days, you treat yourself to a massage, lounge in a long bubble bath (complete with fragrant oils, candles, and mood music), give yourself a facial, manicure, and pedicure, go out for a healthy meal, get a guest pass at a health club so you can use their steam room and whirlpool bath, spend one morning lounging with breakfast in bed, and make a trip to the health-food store for your favorite relaxing aromatherapy oil.

Maybe your long weekend could be a movie festival, with viewing times for a handful of your favorite classic movies. Maybe it’s action-adventure films, romance movies, or the entire Alfred Hitchcock catalog! Be sure to stock up on popcorn and beverages. Invite fellow movie enthusiasts to join you. Set the stage by dimming the lights, pulling the curtains, and making your living room into a theater.

Be creative with your long weekend. Maybe you could tour all the art museums in town that you haven’t yet explored, or go on the trail of the perfect pie, and explore the cafes in your town. Check your local chamber of commerce for visitors’ information—often, there are many tourist sites in our own home towns that we have not explored.

Spend a weekend without the phone or TV. I know, it’s a rare concept these days, but why not try just doing nothing? Have you noticed how fast a day goes by when you’re busy? Well, the reverse is true when you’re not busy. A long weekend will become really long if you don’t watch TV, answer the phone, or log on to the Internet. When was the last time you spent the whole day in bed when you weren’t sick? Spending time with yourself now and then is a great way to recharge.

If you can afford to spend a little more on your long weekend, play three days of golf at the courses in your area, go skiing for a weekend, take the family camping, check into a hotel in your town and use the spa, or go on a short road trip to an area of interest within a day’s drive of home.

 Don’t put off taking time off. Make a commitment to your self to vacation, then get your calendar out and choose dates. If you have to put in a request for time off, go ahead and do it. If you can afford to travel, pick up some travel magazines and start planning your trip. If you choose to stay home, jot down some ideas for a theme vacation, and make a list of items you would like to make the weekend special. Make a regular vacation a regular part of your life. You’ll be glad you did.