“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place came from with new eyes and extra colors.”

—Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Summertime. The season that brings us longer days and more leisure time. And, ahh, sweet VaCays. The weeks between Memorial and Labor Days are characterized by changing routines and a few more opportunities for get-a-ways. We get go places we never want to leave while other places never leave us. As kids we’d visit stay-away camp; or, now, as adults we take our kiddos to go stay at one! Or maybe, it’s taking one of those amazing, “bucket list” adventures. For some, it’s an annual trip to the beach, lake, mountains, or __________________ (you name it!). Luxury hotel or camping. Or something simpler: a staycation.

Regardless of the longitude or latitude, there seems like there’s a common denominator: the sweetness of choosing where, when, how and with whom to spend some wind-down time. Is it your family, friends – your crew – or like-minded community of others who share your passion? Perhaps, for you, it’s going solo.

What about the length of time? One week? Two weeks? Or should you plan for multiple long weekends? Time away can feel like a luxury. However, making time to slow down and connect in our busy, modern, 24/7 connected world is needed to give our brains a break. Regardless of the span of time, it feels so delicious, so blissful, when you get to choose your speed and direction.

Here are a few ideas to try out to help change your perspective on downtime:

Visit a museum or park

Set your own itinerary to experience time travel. Viewing art and antiquities give us the unique chance to build empathy and change our view of history. Depending on the purpose of the place you visit you may find a quiet, contemplative space or a bustling, energetic educational environment. Either way, visiting a museum and/or parks offers our imagination a playground for new ideas.

 

Just unplug

Just do it. Turn those devices o-f-f. Choose specific times to unplug for a few hours, one day, or all weekend. Do whatever works for you and your lifestyle. Make a plan and stick to it.

 

Start planning your next trip

Have you heard of Anticipatory Joy[1]? Researchers in the Netherlands conducted a study and found just planning or anticipating a trip can make you happier than actually taking it. Wow! Talk about happy, happy … joy, joy!

 

We are curious, do you have a practice that works for you? Share it with our Transform community on our Facebook page. Are you ready for a change of perspective? Do you find yourself resisting putting your “out of office” notification on? When is the last time you scheduled adequate time off to recharge? Let’s set time to talk about how to make it happen.

 

 

Source: [1] Psychology Today