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What would it be like to get away from it all, now?

Let me explain…

We recently returned from a vacation.

There was a time when a vacation used to be a luxury. Today though for many it has become a necessity.

Have you ever come back from vacation feeling you already need another one? You’re not alone.

It’s been shown in several studies that a respite from work decreases burnout and improves your mood and physical well-being. No surprise here. But what is interesting is the same studies show the healthful effects don’t last long – sometimes just a few weeks, if that long.

…that’s why it’s so nice to get away every few months!

Okay, back to the day-to-day again… I am reminded of the power of a good vacation and I figured why not let’s dig into the subject a bit.

Vacations can change your life-if not literally save it altogether, as you’ll find out here later-and give you the tools you need to bring about the rebirth we’ve talked about which you now know as your Personal Renaissance.

So there I am at a cafe… A woman next to me ordering a cappuccino tells me she’s enjoying part of a mandatory (read: legally required) six-week-long vacation. And she also gets double pay while on vacation to counter the extra spending that vacations involve.

Forced leisure. Reminds me of a while back…

… at the time, I was burning the candle at both ends. Everyone except me knew I needed a break. And finally the company’s CEO came right out and told me “You really need a vacation! Take a week off and go somewhere.”

You can probably imagine the look on my face. I made a fuss. Some bet that I would find a way to not go on vacation. Nonetheless, I researched some travel deals.

It was last minute travel so I figured I might have to pay through the nose. But I lucked out and found a nice get away vacation package. So the following week, my bags packed, off to the tropics I went.

At first all I could think of was work. And I resisted the idea that I would enjoy a bit of relax.

A little voice in my head kept wondering “Why couldn’t I just stay and work some more?”

A couple of days later, things changed…

After obviously not being at the office, I was away not only in the body, but now also in the mind.

I didn’t take any work with me. I didn’t allow people to contact me.

I restricted myself to restorative, out-of-cellphone-range pursuits.

And surely enough I came to experience the positive effects a holiday can have on your health and well-being.

When a staff member at the resort asked me how I was enjoying my stay, I confessed “I’m starting to feel like a new me!”

Long nature walks with my girlfriend (yes, I whisked her away too) and deep breaths of fresh air renovated my being.

A few trips to the spa and afternoon swims revitalized my body and lifted my spirits.

Light and flavorful meals satisfied my taste buds and nourished me more than I’d done for myself the past year or so having breakfast, lunch and dinner …at McDonalds of all places (it was, after all, right next door to my office).

I remember thinking the business would struggle without me, and that I was indispensable. Another part of me worried someone else down the hall would learn how to do my job.

But you probably already guessed the truth… the business survived without me and all ended well.

For sure, there were several work-related lessons. Including that even though it was hard to relinquish control, on some level I demonstrated that I controlled my work instead of the other way around.

The vacation – in this case a beach vacation – gave me needed balance. It also gave me the opportunity to remember there is more to life than work, and I used that chance to make some important decisions affecting other areas of my life.

When I got back to work, I got a warm welcome. My newfound energy was contagious. I got back into the swing of things with more fire and gusto. Asked how my vacation was, I piped that “If vacation can have this kind of effect, bring them on!”

We probably both know lots of people who can’t seem to get themselves to break away from the office.

All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy they say. It also makes you unsuccessful. The fact is that a good vacation can do wonders for every area of your life.

Now before we move on to Part 2, I would looove to read your comments and find out how you feel about what we talked about here in Part 1.

Ciao!

Taylor

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