Taking some time for ourselves is very much needed. We all want to work as hard as we can all the time, but having a vacation in the distance to work towards is that much more rewarding and motivating. Working constantly without a break is something no one wants to do. Some of us have to work long hours or even weekends, but there is still room for breaks.
We often daydream at work about taking a luxurious vacation far away from home. Going on a cruise, flying to another country or just road tripping through the states for a few days sounds like heaven to most of us. Having a chance to get away from the everyday norm of life and work helps keep us sane.
This is a huge reason why most (if not all) companies provide their employees with vacation time. They don’t want their employees to feel burned out or no longer interested in their reparative work. They want their employees to get the time off they need and recharge their batteries to be as efficient as the company needs them to be.
Some of us have that vacation time and never use it. There were years where I didn’t use any mainly because I had no places in mind I wanted to visit or couldn’t afford it at the time. This of course caused me to slow down at work very quickly and was the reason why my boss suggested I just take a week off for myself.
That little amount of time can do wonders for you if you haven’t been on a vacation in years. Even if you can’t afford to go anywhere, there are so many options out there for you to enjoy some form of vacation. It is always good to distance yourself from your home town or sometimes even your state.
Taking the journey into the unknown on a vacation or maybe even revisiting a place you always love getting away to will do wonders for you other than saving up that vacation time and never using it. In a way, it’s like working 7 days a week without time off for the weekend. You will get to a point that your job seems kind of dull or lacks meaning.
The reason why this happens is mainly that we were never met to sit behind a desk and face a computer screen. Our lives are meant for adventure, happiness, love, and joy. Work is a necessity to keep us alive, fed, and sheltered but taking some time for yourself is just as important.
Having a vacation, relaxing, and having some fun will give you a new level of mental focus and determination when you get back to work. You will have that new hire drive to be successful all over again. That newfound determination and focus will very much be noticed by your bosses and co-workers. We are always our best selves when we are relaxed, refreshed, and stress-free.
When people think of vacations they feel they need to journey far away. The logic is of course that the farther away you are from your problems, the less you will have to think about them while you are away on vacation. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, as that work stress can find a way to creep up on you while you are on your vacation if you let it. The farthest thing you should be away from is the mentality of your work stress.
We go on vacations to put a pause on our responsibilities, rekindle some excitement in our lives, or just to take in some new memories. As I mentioned you don’t have to always travel far to enjoy a great vacation. Sometimes something as simple as driving an hour or two away to a national park or just to spend the weekend camping is a fun way to enjoy a vacation on a budget.
If you are looking for a little less wilderness fun, look at popular areas in your state or something close out of state that you can enjoy. Go to a big city, rent a hotel and explore the town. Take in whatever environment you can. Going someplace new is fun sure, but if it is a place where you know you will always have a great time then it’s a place you should be. Probably one of the biggest reasons why people flock to Disneyland or Disney World as much as they do.
That is also another thing to take into consideration when you go on vacation. Find something that you normally don’t do or haven’t done in years. Rediscover your youth in ways that remind you what it is like to have that child-like joy again. Try going to an arcade and playing those classic games you enjoyed or never tried when you were younger. Maybe go to an amusement park or take in the wildlife by going to a zoo.
Many people forget the joys they had when they were younger, so revisiting that on a vacation is very nice. When we were kids we didn’t have the worries of work stress, work deadlines, or the dreaded commute to the office. When we were younger we had our whole lives ahead of us so getting to put yourself in those younger shoes again can be a wonderful way to enjoy your vacation and melt that work stress that has been on your shoulders.
The biggest thing to take away from this is reminding yourself that vacations are important. Time off is important for you to be successful at your work and just to be successful in life. We aren’t machines built to accomplish someone else’s purpose. We are human beings who are here to make a positive impact on the world and live comfortably while we do it.
So the next time you feel overly stressed at work or have those moments you can’t take it anymore then you may want to find some time away and come back ready to take on the world.
