We can’t always get away. Not all of us like too. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need or can’t get a break.
I know that perhaps my colleagues don’t understand, but I really dislike traveling. I don’t like the task of packing or the mess and the reorganization needed when unpacking. I don’t like the pressure of getting ahead with work before a trip, or the pressure of catching up when I get back. Even when I leave just small tasks for myself to do while away, they hang on my head all day while I’m away from a computer and aren’t able to take care of them. I don’t like the lack of structure. When I’m away with my kids, I’m tending to everyone else and making sure everyone has the clothing and food they need. When I’m away without kids, I’m struggling to take care of their needs from afar. I feel much more relaxed and happy in my own routine.
Even people who do like to get away, there isn’t always a good time. You can’t take off from work so easily. You can’t leave the kids (or take the kids out of their own structures) so easily. Families often aren’t on the same schedule where all the kids are “off” at the same time.
Sometimes, even if it’s not about the kids and even if you totally like to travel, there’s things going on in your life and you simply need to stay local and be available.
But it doesn’t mean you don’t get a break.
It doesn’t mean you don’t need one, deserve one, or would be refreshed by one.
But it also doesn’t mean that a break means you need to be in a different location.
I wrote a few summers ago about a plan for a barely cook summer. This concept is a little less ambitious. It’s about taking off from some of your regular tasks… about lessening the pressure or responsibilities, even just a bit. It makes a difference!
Your vacation can be simply: I am going to buy all my desserts this summer and have one less thing on my head.
Or…I am going to take advantage of the convenience of pre-chopped veggies. Even if you don’t usually rationalize the extra expense when you are perfectly capable of chopping a pepper, this is your time off.
Or…I am going to buy myself a coffee in the mornings. Think about it: If you have just $100 to budget for a vacation, it might not get you far, but you can relax for 30 minutes everyday for a whole month with a coffee that you did not make yourself. It can also mean buying yourself lunch for a certain time period.
You feel less guilty about the extra expense of buying vs. making when the task of buying that item is doing the double task of enabling you to have that break you need to come back next week, next month, or in September, refreshed. It’s not just a cake. It’s not just pre-chopped stir-fry. It’s a vacation.
Choose a fixed amount of time where you are “off” from any regular task. You can be creative. There is something you can let go of, even if it’s just for a short period of time.
Enjoy your vacation.
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