Dress: Felicity & Coco here // Earrings: Golden Strand Jewelry // Purse: Louis Vuitton
You know what I love most about the beach? There’s something so peaceful about the waves and the sand that truly allows me to unwind. And that’s HUGE for me. For some reason, my mind is always racing. It’s really hard for me to sit down and relax and not think about the never-ending to-do list I should be working on. Even when I’m on vacation, I’m constantly checking my email and stressing about all the things I’ll need to do when I get home. But whenever I step my feet in the sand, I get an overwhelming sense of peace that it’s okay to rest.
With the hustle and bustle of our every day lives, it’s extremely difficult (especially for me) to clear our thoughts and truly relax. But it’s crucial for our health! Stress takes a huge toll on our body – from the ability to resist infection and maintain vital functions, to sleep deprivation, headaches, irritability, depression and anxiety. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a busy lifestyle. The busier I am, the harder I work. But sometimes I crave a few days away from the endless responsibilities, bills to pay, emails to answer, house to clean, etc. But just because you go on vacation and are in a new environment doesn’t mean you immediately feel relaxed. Here are some tips on how I mentally unwind:
1. Plan ahead – It’s going to be extremely hard to mentally unwind if you’re thinking about the deadline you missed or the email you should have sent. Prepare ahead of your trip! Try to work extra hard the week before your vacation to get all of your work commitments in order. Don’t be afraid to ask a colleague for help while you’re gone. Make sure any other responsibilities you have are taken care of ahead of time (household duties, personal emails, bill to be paid, etc.) so you don’t have to stress about any of those things while you’re gone.
2. Set aside a time to check your email – This is a personal choice of mine. Many people will say don’t check your email at all, but personally, if I came home to 800 emails I would be completely overwhelmed. I try not to work very much while I’m on vacation, but I do allow myself 30-45 minutes each day to scroll through, delete junk emails and respond to any urgent matters. I also highly encourage you to set an “out of office” (or “on vacation”) automatic response so that people know that it will take you a little longer to respond.
3. Don’t set unrealistic expectations – This is one I need to continue to work at. I absolutely LOVE to travel and explore everything about the new city I’m in. While this is awesome, it can sometimes get me into trouble. I need to step back and realize that I’m not going to be able to do EVERYTHING I want. You can’t go on every adventure and eat at every cool restaurant and still have time to relax. I’ve planned trips before where I had set reservations for dinner every night and activities during the day, which left me very little time to lay out by the beach before I had to run in and get ready for dinner. BE FLEXIBLE! Don’t put yourself on a schedule (unless that’s what makes you happy). My advice would be to plan a couple things on your trip, but then leave plenty of time to “go with the flow” and see how you’re feeling each day.
4. Do what makes YOU happy – Whether that’s working out, sleeping in, reading a book, going on a hike or adventure or just laying on the beach for the entire day. It is YOUR time to unwind, so whatever allows you to let loose and be happy, DO IT.
5. Savor the moment – Don’t feel guilty about taking your vacation! YOU DESERVE IT! You work hard throughout the entire year, so enjoy your time off. Spend time with people you love, eat good food, enjoy the environment/culture you’re in. Focus on recovering from your every day stress, so you feel recharged and come back to full health (mentally and physically).
Taking time off allows us to physically, mentally and emotionally recharge, and allows us to gain perspective, which boosts our creativity when we return. Do you have any advice on how you unwind and relax while on vacation? Please share them in a comment below!
Photography by Katherine Fox
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