At different points in my adult life, vacation and taking time off have meant different things to me. I have several internal challenges that I face when considering taking time off. In a previous post, I shared that I grew up in a family that primarily traveled with a purpose when taking time off from our everyday lives. The concepts of taking time off to “just disconnect from the daily grind” and “reconnect with yourself” were not even on my radar. So, as an adult, redefining vacation has been an ongoing and evolving process.
Sometimes, I think that there may be something more to my challenges with taking time off than my purpose-driven upbringing. I act on a script inside of my mind that tells me that I should be productive most of the time. While this is true, I crave opportunities to free myself from responsibility and go with the flow. As much as I want to act on my heart, my mind always wins – “keep grinding” it says.
Perhaps I’m not alone? Do any of these sound like you too?
Scenario 1: The Countdown to Returning to Work
While driving through the gorgeous Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills of South Dakota, I closed my eyes, breathed in a breath of fresh late-spring air, and smiled. “This is the life” I whispered. I was on Day 3 of a week-long vacation. I allowed myself about 10 seconds of bliss before I started thinking about how many more days I had until I had to go back to work.
Scenario 2: The Urge to Plan the “Next Vacation” While Still on “This Vacation”
I just returned to my pristine hotel room after a great day walking the streets of Hot Springs, Arkansas. I visited the parks, did some window shopping, and dined in an historic bath house in Hot Springs National Park. As soon as I unknowingly convinced myself that I couldn’t possibly get any luckier on vacation, a menacing and recurring thought crept into my head: “the next trip, I want to…”
Scenario 3: The Inability to Disconnect from Work
The waves crashed upon the beautiful Myrtle Beach shores even as the warm morning sun kissed my arms. The relaxing scent of salt-water and sand mixed as I sat looking out at the ocean. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here at this very moment!” I thought out loud. Then I heard it… a ding. Pause. I’m loving this time to reconnect with myself, and… ding! Is that my work phone? I better check…
Want to Continue the Discussion?
These are three real life scenarios that I have encountered (and that continue to pose a challenge for me). Why do we have such a hard time being in vacation mode? How do you deal with these types of challenges? I am actively looking into ways to meaningfully combat these challenges so that I can live my values and truly enjoy my time off. If you are interested in exploring this topic with me, let me know.
