Making the Most of Your Vacation
For many of us, summer vacations are just around the corner. Vacation can be a time for renewal, relaxation and recharging your batteries. Workers in the United States take far fewer vacation days than workers in many of the European countries. U.S. workers take an average of 10 vacation days per year, compared to 20 – 30 for many European workers.
That’s even more reason to make the most of the vacation days you do take. Whether you’re traveling near or far this summer, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your time off.
- Leave
technology at home. Leave your laptop, pager, cell phone and
Palm Pilot at home. Technology blurs the boundaries between work time
and personal time. On vacation, the focus should be on personal time.
The business will continue to run without you for a few days.
- Practice being in the moment. It’s very easy to go through the day on automatic pilot, yet we miss out on noticing many of the beautiful things around us. So, on vacation, practice being in the moment – stop and notice the sunset, really look at the flowers, smell the salt air. These images become part of our memories, and the recollection of these images can have a calming effect on the body long after the vacation is over.
- If you’re
traveling with others, try to set aside some time each day just
for yourself. This could mean an early morning walk, an afternoon
swim, or a cup of coffee sitting out on the deck.
- Laugh
and play. Studies have shown that a four year old child laughs
an average of 400 times per day. By the time that child becomes an adult,
he or she laughs only 15 times per day. That’s a dramatic difference.
So, let vacation be a time when you reconnect with the joy and laughter
you felt as a kid. Watch a funny movie or cartoon, read a funny book,
go to a comedy club, etc. – anything that will tickle your funny
bone.
- Incorporate
moderate exercise into your vacation, keeping in mind your
physical abilities. Moderate exercise, such as a friendly game of tennis,
dancing or a stroll on the beach does good things for the body and mind.
Exercise can produce endorphins in the body, which is the body’s
natural antidepressant remedy.
- Keep the momentum going. Vacations only happen two or three times per year. Don’t wait until vacation to recharge your batteries. Make a commitment to do something that renews your mind and body every week. You deserve it.
Employee Assistance Program of Mount Auburn Hospital
We’re here when you need us.
1-800-888-5105
or 617-868-4489
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