General Information -- Physically En-Joy-Ing Vacation
Vacations can be physically exhausting. The main reason is that we tend to replace business with busyness. Busyness is activity for activity sake. We have the time so we fill it with doing stuff. On a road trip we will squeeze in one last tourist stop instead of getting to our hotel and spending time by the pool. During a staycation we add one more project for the house rather than having a picnic and walk in the park. Busyness exists to prevent us from getting bored or “not having anything to do.”
This busyness has several significant consequences for our body.
Busyness encourages stress. It distracts us from our real needs for rest and refreshment of our weary body. The rule of thumb for physically en-joying our vacations is very simple. Too much IS too much. Have enough to enjoy your time and then move on. Enjoy that single scoop ice cream cone and then move on. Take a dip in the pool and then take some time drying in the sun. Go ahead and get up at 4:30 AM to make the trout run, but when the sun has risen into the morning sky, take a walk and listen to the water, the wind, and the birds in the trees.
Vacations are not a sprint to the first day back at work. They are a leisurely stroll through your life until you return to your usual routine. May they fill you with en-joy-ment.
This busyness has several significant consequences for our body.
- We may not get enough restful sleep. We sleep “just enough” to get by so we do not “waste” precious vacation time.
- We may not eat very well. Because we may be traveling, we may eat more fast food or foods we normally avoid. After all, we tell ourselves “We are on vacation!” This may lead to overloading on carbs, especially the liquid kind. Too many carbs steal our energy and disrupts the biological rhythms of our life.
- Busyness can also steal away the reason we went on vacation. It can lead us to hurry past or through the moments that renew and refresh. We take a 15-minute catnap when we really needed an hour to sit and read. We hurry past a chance to talk with our companions in order to get to the next tourist trap. We jump on a crowded, noisy bus to make a two-hour tour of downtown historic sights instead of taking a morning and walking the same tour with our family.
Busyness encourages stress. It distracts us from our real needs for rest and refreshment of our weary body. The rule of thumb for physically en-joying our vacations is very simple. Too much IS too much. Have enough to enjoy your time and then move on. Enjoy that single scoop ice cream cone and then move on. Take a dip in the pool and then take some time drying in the sun. Go ahead and get up at 4:30 AM to make the trout run, but when the sun has risen into the morning sky, take a walk and listen to the water, the wind, and the birds in the trees.
Vacations are not a sprint to the first day back at work. They are a leisurely stroll through your life until you return to your usual routine. May they fill you with en-joy-ment.
Tips
Here are three tips for caring for your body while on vacation.
Feed your senses. The same sensation that is experienced repeatedly makes us numb to it. Whether the sensation is touch, taste, smell, hearing or seeing, over-exposure causes us to lose our appreciation or even our ability to experience that particular sensation. Awaken all your senses by giving yourself a full menu of sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and aromas. Allow each one to fully express itself before you move on, but do not linger.
Find a new daily routine. If you are a routine kind of person, find a new daily routine that is comfortable for you. You might change the time you get up or go to bed. You may replace your drive to work with a period of meditation or a walk around the block. Allow yourself the freedom to eat a light snack between lighter meals. Allow yourself time to sit with your own thoughts and become reacquainted with your life. A new daily routine can give your body the space and permission it needs to care for itself.
Most importantly, our body needs rest. Make time for naps or quiet reading or a brief walk. Allow time for your body to enjoy a bit of exercise. Allow a light meal that you share with family and friends. Let it linger on for several hours. Get the sleep you need each night. Allow your body to reset its own sleep cycle but do not force it to wake up on some arbitrary cue. If it wakes at 4:00 am because it wants to greet the sun, then get up and go. If it says, “OK, I’m tired. Let’s take a nap!”, then listen to it and find some shade.
Take your body on vacation and let it lay aside all the busyness of living. Enjoy, refresh, renew as your vacate your daily life for a time of rest and re-creation.
Feed your senses. The same sensation that is experienced repeatedly makes us numb to it. Whether the sensation is touch, taste, smell, hearing or seeing, over-exposure causes us to lose our appreciation or even our ability to experience that particular sensation. Awaken all your senses by giving yourself a full menu of sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and aromas. Allow each one to fully express itself before you move on, but do not linger.
Find a new daily routine. If you are a routine kind of person, find a new daily routine that is comfortable for you. You might change the time you get up or go to bed. You may replace your drive to work with a period of meditation or a walk around the block. Allow yourself the freedom to eat a light snack between lighter meals. Allow yourself time to sit with your own thoughts and become reacquainted with your life. A new daily routine can give your body the space and permission it needs to care for itself.
Most importantly, our body needs rest. Make time for naps or quiet reading or a brief walk. Allow time for your body to enjoy a bit of exercise. Allow a light meal that you share with family and friends. Let it linger on for several hours. Get the sleep you need each night. Allow your body to reset its own sleep cycle but do not force it to wake up on some arbitrary cue. If it wakes at 4:00 am because it wants to greet the sun, then get up and go. If it says, “OK, I’m tired. Let’s take a nap!”, then listen to it and find some shade.
Take your body on vacation and let it lay aside all the busyness of living. Enjoy, refresh, renew as your vacate your daily life for a time of rest and re-creation.
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