“Leisure isn’t always relaxation and its relaxation that counts” Marty Rubin
Want to reduce stress, be happier, improve your performance, be more productive and advance up the career ladder? Go on a holiday!
This might seem counter-intuitive however rest, relaxation and recharging is a critical part of living a healthy and happy life. The three R’s can take many forms and includes the short bursts you can get by stepping out and slowing down every day but also extends to the longer breaks that we all eventually crave.
With the unforgiving demands modern life throws our way, getting away and giving yourself some space to pause, unwind and not think is a really important mechanism to support your well-being. Many people look to holidays as a cure after pushing themselves to the absolute edge; this often leads to falling over at the finish line in an exhausted heap only to find that you can’t be fully present and engaged during the break. Even worse, it can lead to a vacation of sickness and ill-health as your body and mind finally get to slow down and realise how battered you really are.
Research completed by Roy Morgan in 2016 highlights that the average employee in Australia has 16 days of annual leave accrued and that 1 in 3 people have more than four weeks of accrued leave. Scarily it’s also those with more than four weeks accrued that are unlikely not to have any future holiday plans at all. Personally we love holidays so find this pretty hard to believe but the numbers don’t lie. It’s time to make a change people!
You might remember our previous post “Relaxation on the go” which highlighted the growing problems associated with not getting the right type of rest and relaxation, and shared tips and options on how you can start recharging your batteries every single day. If you haven’t read this or need a refresher, we’d encourage you to take a look as these small daily activities will complement the advice in this post perfectly and give you a more holistic approach to recharging your body and mind to support your well-being.
Before we focus on different types of ways to recharge at a bigger scale, let’s talk about the benefits of doing so by seeing what science has to say. An article from NBC News highlights the many proven benefits of vacations include feeling healthier, being more creative, relieving stress, lowering the risk of depression and boosting happiness and satisfaction. Interestingly enough even just the act of planning a holiday has been proven to increase satisfaction and happiness – that’s without even going on the holiday!
Whilst these benefits might seem obvious to some, it’s clear that our workaholic culture means a lot of people are choosing to forgo these at a cost to them, possibly without even knowing it. For even the most committed or leave fearing people out there, it’s hard to argue that feeling healthier, less stressed and happier won’t pay back when you return to your job and over the long run.
So now you’re convinced, let’s talk about some different options you have available to you.
Holidays
The most obvious, the biggest and the best form of recharging is to just drop it all and get away. This is the one week, two week, four week or more break that everyone looks forward to and counts down the days until it comes. It’s hard to think of a better way to recharge than being in a completely different environment without the usual stresses that everyday life brings.
We won’t bang on about these but there are a few things to think about when planning your next holiday.
Timing is important as you want to give yourself enough time to unwind and relax before you need to get going again. For some people it can be quicker but the typical person needs at least 3 days and more like 7 days before they can truly wash away the stresses of everyday life. For this reason it’s thought 2 to 3 week holidays are ideal allowing enough time to unwind rest and recharge before the dreaded return to work. The exception to this is for those people who use holidays as a preventative measure by taking regular breaks in which case shorter breaks of say a week can still get the same benefits.
The type of holiday you take and activities can do is important but less important than where you do it. A very busy, active holiday to a new or familiar location can still be incredibly refreshing and recharging but a fortnight sitting around the house isn’t likely to have the same effect.
Over the years we’ve learnt that we need a break of a week or two every six months and we want our days full-on and activity packed as long as it’s at a location that is new or interesting to us. We also know that it’s incredibly difficult to get back into the swing of real-life after four weeks off so typically will try and avoid the severe post-holiday depression by taking shorter holidays more often.
Long weekends away
Perhaps a little more on the achievable side long weekends away should be high on the priority list when it comes to rest, relaxation and recharging. Giving yourself even just a couple of days to step away from the daily routine allows you to get lost in the surrounds of a different location, sights and sounds. More importantly it’ll also give you time away to disconnect and forget about the never-ending to do list and household chores that never seem to go away.
We were inspired by this when listening to a highly successful business leader sharing some of the lessons he learned during his career. One of the ingredients to success – in a high pressure career which lasted for the best part of 60 years – was the regular weekends away he and his wife would take in order to disconnect, relax and recharge before coming back ready and raring for the next few months ahead. Like clockwork this was something they did every 3 months and would be marked on the calendar well in advance so as to put a stake in the ground and give them something to look forward to.
Given some of the many challenges that exist, there’s ways this can be done without significant cost. If a lack of annual leave or getting time off is a problem, squeeze a trip away in between your normal working schedule and plan out trips that coincide with times when your work is a bit quieter. If money is an issue, find times in the year that are non-peak and look for locations and accommodation that won’t break the budget.
We personally love our little trips away and try and fit one in every few months. The best trips are the ones where we have a mix of activities planned complemented with free time and normally involve being near the beach or in a remote area allowing us to get out of the city hustle and bustle.
A schedule free day
Recognising that we all don’t the luxury of an extended holiday or a trip out of town, our final option should have less hurdles to jump. This can come in the form of a completely schedule free day.
You heard us right. No alarm clock, no plans, no activities, no kids sport. Zip. Zilch. Nothing. An entire day free for you to do as little as much as you please depending on how you feel at the time. You’ll get all the benefits of silencing the monkey brain that keeps reminding you of all the things you have to do, the places you have to be and the people you have to see. Instead you’ll get to have room to pause, unwind and do whatever you damn well feel like.
If you’re thinking that this also isn’t an option for you, you’re not trying hard enough. Pick a day, tell your family and anyone else you need to what’s happening and do it. Simples!
We’ve shared why recharging should be a high priority in your life and some advice on how to go about it and what works well for us. What better time to plan your next holiday eh?
Action for the week:
- How much leave do you have? Actually it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a little or a lot, plan your next holiday and book it into your calendar.
- When was the last time you took a few days for yourself or with your loved ones? There’s no better time to escape the chaos and go away for a couple of quiet days. Can you fit a trip in before winter finishes?
- Failing all else or if you’re in desperate need of some rest, put the stop sign up and clear your schedule on the next day you can. Sleep in, be present and do as much or as little as you like.
Encouraging people to take time for themselves in the form of holidays, long weekends away or by having a schedule free day shouldn’t be a hard sell. The benefits are clear, the rewards obvious and doing this regularly will ultimately lead to a better state of mind, improved levels of health and overall well-being. For those chained to the desk, imagine how much more effective you’d be if you had higher levels of energy, better cognitive function and decision-making ability and could sustain better levels of performance for longer periods of time. It’s as easy and enjoyable as taking a break and letting your batteries recharge and the best part is it’s another step closer to living a healthier and happier life. Win-win!
We’re going to continue the trend of building on previous posts next time when we dive back into the mysterious and recently popular world of meditation. With the basics covered, we’re going to unpack the detail a little more to ensure that our meditation practice is as effective as possible and delivering maximum benefit. Until then, we’ll be practicing what we preach by going on holidays to beautiful North Queensland!
We’d love to hear your thoughts on recharging, what has or hasn’t worked for you, and any other comments or questions you have. Please reach out to us at any of our social media channels.
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