Summer is almost here and many of us plan to take a vacation. Is yours planned with your tickets purchased and reservations made for special events or activities? Do you like a vacation that is unscheduled and allows you to “go with the flow” – enjoying activities as they present themselves? Do you travel to one location and explore the area as time, energy, and money allow? Some of us purchase a vacation package which takes some of the planning stress out of the vacation. Once you’ve selected your vacation and paid the fees, you can sit back and enjoy the cruise, trip or planned activities.
Many of us are very busy at work but need to take the time away to recharge our batteries. According to Christine Carter, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at the Greater Good Science Center, we must plan a vacation where we totally unplug and disconnect from work. Don’t check your email, call the office, or work on a special project. We need that time away from work. Sometimes I get my most creative ideas when I’ve had a true break from work. Dr. Carter also suggests planning your re-entry back into the work week. Allow a “catch up” day on your first day back. Be productive but realize that time will be spent responding to emails, phone calls and project tasks. Don’t over-schedule that first day back or you may negate the positive effects of your vacation.
A vacation doesn’t have to be expensive. Perhaps you decide to cut costs and have a “staycation” – where you stay at home but explore areas around where you live. We live in Ohio, where there are many covered bridges. It is easy to find a covered bridge within a few hours of home. Take pictures if you want to document the places you’ve seen. Explore what interests you – perhaps it is a festival, farmers market, covered bridge, old cemetery or state or national parks.
2016 marks the 100th Birthday of the National Park Service. Celebrate this birthday by finding a National Park near you. Check out their website and find a park near you.
Send a comment and share which one appeals to you.
Other vacation reminders:
- If you will be out in the sun, wear sunscreen every day. Even if it is cloudy, you still need sunscreen.
- Use your vacation as a physical activity opportunity. Take a walk at a park, on the beach or to visit a historical site.
- Have fun! Have reasonable expectations about your vacation. Allow a little time for your family to adjust to being together all of the time. Plan a little “me” time into your vacation.
- Take a book or a magazine that you want to read. Visit your local library for free books to take on your trip. Travel advisors, books-on-CD, print and digital books can add to your reading enjoyment.
Relax, kick back, rejuvenate and refresh. Everyone will benefit from the new “refreshed” you!
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