Avoid Burnout: How to get the most out of your recharge (aka vacation or staycation or long-weekend)
Thanks to a confluence of milestones (kids spring break one month, special birthday celebration another) I found myself taking two big trips over 2 months. Normally I only take 1 trip every year, so taking 1 per month for 2 months raised some eyebrows and jokes at my new job. But man do I love traveling! I love planning a trip. I love being on a trip. And I love thinking about and talking about the place I visited. I get such a boost and recharge, am so full of joy and inspiration, that I wanted to reflect on how this might be replicated anywhere—like home!
Be a tourist (as a mindset). How fun is it to be in a mindset where you are all about exploring and enjoying? Where you don’t care what someone thinks as you snap photos. Where you decide to have that gelato as a snack while you stare at a beautiful view. Oftentimes when I’m home, I’m focused on my to-do list, and even if I’m visiting a museum or a garden, it’s with efficiency in mind. There is something magical about a tourist mindset. It’s all about exploring and slowing down while you watch and take the experience in.
Let the journey be as fun as the destination. My husband and I rented a tiny Fiat on an Island in Greece, and had as much fun driving down those narrow roads, purposely getting lost on our way to wherever we were going. We felt so relaxed and happy as we enjoyed the sunshine and the unexpected sightings (Donkeys! Dogs! Wildflowers! Insanely narrow roads!). It really is inconceivable to me in my daily life to feel that freedom to take the scenic route to the office, but I will tell you recently I got off the train 2 stops before my office’s stop, and walked the rest of the way in. What a jolt of energy that gave me to see NYC not as I rushed from my subway, but walking along the streets as the city came to life.
Try something new. I am a big fan of Airbnb experiences. They offer unique ways to experience a place with a local and a very small group. My walking tour of the Acropolis was 4 people including our wonderful guide. We got to not only see the wonderful sight with an expert guide, then walk around the city and see his favorite places and taverns. I never would have discovered any of those places on my own beyond hitting the museum. This makes me think of home. Why not book a tour or a lesson? It is so invigorating to break out of your comfort zone.
Obviously going on a trip is a wonderful way to break out of your routine and feel joy. But that mindset is something you might want to apply to your life at home from time to time. Bonus points if you put down your phone for email and instead use it for fun photos and directions to a new spot you’ve never tried. Try to intentionally slow down, and watch and take your journey in. I’m going to try to do more of this since taking monthly trips isn’t in the cards. Ha! Enjoy your adventures and I can’t wait to hear all about them!
