Vacation

     Many this time of year are heading out to various locations for a family vacation.  Some may go to the mountains, some to the beach, others to perhaps different family locations.  Regardless, all will want to enjoy the company, the fun, and the brief opportunity to relax away from their normal daily distractions.

     For some they would have planned for months for this trip.  It may have been a special trip that you have planned for since your vacation last year.  This year it may be that “once in a lifetime” excursion to a tropical island, or a cruise, or some other location that you know you will probably never return to again within your lifetime!

     I realize that there may be safety aspects you will want to take into consideration.  You’ll have to plan your time and develop a realistic budget for this trip.  I’m not even going to talk about what you might do on this amazing outing.  What I’m going to consider in this blog is probably something you have never given consideration to when you line up your vacation plans: routine!

     You really need to consider how you can do all the things you want to do, enjoy all the excitement and the “long” hours of activities and yet keep yourself within your daily routine as you would be doing if you were still home.  Now I’m not talking about considering your work routine while you are vacationing.  No, I mean your personal daily routine: when you get up, when you go to bed, and so on.

     You will find by doing this you will have less “jet lag”, feel less fatigued, and return from your vacation more relaxed than you imagined you could.  I know it doesn’t sound possible and I am not saying that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy that occasional “late night” event.  But, imagine how more in control it would make you feel!

     Right away some of you are saying under your breathe:  “But, I’m on vacation!”  Doesn’t that mean that you are not supposed to do the things you do every day?  You are supposed to have fun, enjoy yourself, and do something different!  And you can do that!  Just do it in a controlled manner so that your routine doesn’t suffer.

     Plan your daily activities so that if on one particular night you are going to be up a bit later than usual you can perhaps have a nap in the afternoon to prepare yourself.  The next day you may start your activities a bit later than normal so you can adjust for the night before and so on.  Following some simple adjustments to your schedule you will find that the activities you do participate in will be more enjoyable than you had thought possible.

     You will have to figure out what is going to work for you, but you will be more relaxed when you return from your vacation.  Often we find ourselves just the opposite.  We can barely wait to return to work “so we can relax”!  Enjoy your summer, but be practical when it comes to your daily routine and vacations.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You can take a vacation in your mind

anytime you choose!"