Vacation can be such a tricky time, we are so much looking forward to rest and being free, but at the same time we tend to fill it with all of the things we want to experience during the short time we call summer.
But it is important to really rest. Your body and mind need recovery, and you might experience that one week into your vacation you’re hit with exhaustion. It’s like the entire year of activities just landed in you and you feel deeply tired.
Here are my favorite tips to find a deep rest during your vacation:
1. Disconnect from Technology: Leave your work worries and digital distractions behind! Set boundaries and designate specific times to check messages or emails, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the present moment and disconnect from the demands of the digital world. Find new things to do, explore knitting or painting or learn how to play the guitar, read books that have been sitting on your book shelf for ages.
2. Prioritize Sleep: Allow yourself to get plenty of sleep during your vacation. Create a consistent bedtime routine, keep your sleep environment comfortable and conducive to rest, and aim for the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night. And allow yourself to sleep in, stay i bed and read a book, open a window and lay in a half slumber listening to birds and sounds of summer. And why not an afternoon nap under a tree or at the beach?
3. Embrace Slow and Unstructured Time: Avoid overpacking your vacation with activities and commitments. Embrace the beauty of unstructured time, allowing yourself to slow down, be present, and go with the flow. Give yourself permission to do nothing and simply be, allowing deep rest to naturally unfold. Take time to sit under a tree and day dream or watching people passing by on a road or playing in the sand on the beach. And make time to say yes to unexpected things, to be impulsive and step outside of your practical self.
4. Connect with Nature: Make sure you spend time in nature and soak in its healing energy. Whether it’s a walk in the forest, a swim in the ocean, or enjoying the view from a mountaintop, immersing yourself in nature can have a profound impact on your overall well-being and help you find deep rest. It might just be digging your feet down into the sand or stepping on soft grass in a park. Or simply feeling the elements on your skin, stop to feel the breeze or step outside in a soft summer rain.
All of the above are things that will help you to reconnect with yourself, to find a deeper recovery and hopefully also make you feel more at ease, lighter and happier.
Enjoy your vacation, use it wisely to do as little as possible.
