Five Ways to Recharge on Vacation
When you go on vacation, you want that time to be the most beneficial. Here are a few things you can do to help make your vacation a time of rejuvenation:
- Do New Things. Vacations are a time to do new things, see new places and eat new food. They are a golden opportunity to explore and experience. If we are open, we can find new experiences that will challenge what we think about ourselves and our world. Doing "new" gives us perspective on our successes, our blessings and on life itself.
When you go on vacation, do something outside your usual comfort range. Try a new activity like parasailing, scuba diving, downhill skiing, a cooking class, etc. Give yourself something to talk about when your patients ask what you did on your vacation. As Georgia DC, Mac Miller says, "Re-charge and explore. Visit new places and cultures. Explore foods and adventures."
- Reignite Relationships. Busy lifestyles take their toll on our relationships. No matter how hard we try, we don't spend enough quality time with the people we love. One doctor we talked to stated that vacations are "more important to me and my wife, to keep the romance going. We have been married 31 years."
Vacations are also a time to create memories with family and friends. Be sure to take lots of photos. One group of friends went to Hawaii for a wedding. After they returned from their honeymoon, the groom gathered photos from everyone and created a DVD set to music as their wedding favor. "I get to reconnect with my husband and sons and I get more done before we leave with a deadline," says Jennifer Ramsey, Ohio.
- Pamper Yourself. What better time to spoil yourself and your spouse/family than on vacation? You can recharge your batteries with a day at a resort spa or a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. As you plan your vacation, let everyone in your party choose what they "really want to do."
The secret to pampering/spoiling yourself and your loved ones is in your budget. While every vacation has to have a budget, making your budget too tight can result in a disappointing vacation. Leave some room in your budget for the unexpected.
- Start New Routines. For many of us, the rut seems to get deeper, with very few changes. We have our routine and for most of our lives, we don't have time to think about how to change it. Vacations are a great time to implement new habits and change your routine towards a more healthy and sane lifestyle.
You may take time to exercise on your vacation. This could prompt you to set aside time to hit the gym regularly every week once you return. Lunch with your spouse on a cruise may expand into meeting to have lunch every Wednesday. Vacation activities with your children can begin a monthly "date" with them as a way to stay connected.
- Schedule Your Next Vacation. The hardest part about going on vacation is coming back. You can take the sting out by planning your next vacation during the last half of this one. This is the perfect time to ask yourself:
- What would you like to do again?
- Where else do you want to go?
- What do you still want to see and do?
As Buck Waters, DC, of Florida put it, you go on vacation to "experience the rich beauty the Lord has created and the variety of cultures He has birthed."
Vacations are an important part of our lives. They provide an environment that nurtures our own health and the health of our relationships with the people we love. As Dr. Christopher Oliveira of New Jersey put it, vacations allow the doctor to "re-energize and prioritize what really matters most in life."
Reference
- Vacation Travel Survey.
MPA Media, Dec. 6, 2010.
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