“As you grow older, you learn a few things. One of them is to actually take the time you’ve allotted for vacation.” – John Battelle
Last summer, my friends and I went for a week-long exotic holiday trip to Seychelles, indeed a lovely place to rest and chill. However, I remember her complaining about not being able to enjoy the holidays and finding it less relaxing than she expected it to be. After inquiring about what went wrong, she said that despite being on the most exquisite trip, she couldn’t lay-off her thoughts and enjoy it.
Have you ever experienced this? Has your mind often wandered somewhere else and not been where it ought to be? It is also scientifically recognized that the only body part that has not rested since birth is our mind. Our mind is repeatedly busy with overwhelming thoughts and occupied by interruptions. The National Science Foundation says that our brains produce 50,000 thoughts and ideas per day. The majority of these thoughts are spent dwelling in the past, fighting with guilts, planning, and worrying for the future. From this, we can conclude that our life or body may or may not be busy all the time, but our mind is always active.
We live in a bustling and noisy world. Our body gets tired of these non-stop hustles. Maybe that is one reason we plan a holiday to break out of all the rackets and commotions. But how often do we give rest to both the body as well as the mind? Just like we have an environmental change for slowing down our body, similarly, our brain also needs to be slowed down. Happiness and peace of mind should be made more accessible and frequent.
Mental vacations can be commonly understood as a relaxation method in which a person chooses to slow down, imagines himself being in a peaceful atmosphere, controls overwhelming thoughts, and finds ways for inner peace. This mind vacation gives you immense pleasantness, comfort, creativity, and the subtle feelings of love. The skill of acquiring inner silence and order should be grown over time.
A weekly and annual mind holiday for workaholics who are always stressed can achieve work-life balance and responsibility for themselves and their families. The monotony and lethargy being eliminated from their lives turn out to be more productive, leading to further growth and appreciation.
People on a weekly mental holiday, live in the moment, are less stressed, and wake up relaxed and happy on Monday. Similarly, an annual vacation cheers up your mind as well as your body.
So before you move to design your itinerary for mental vacation, there are some Do’s and Don’ts to be followed.
The Do’s/ say Yes to
1. Set up a daily meditation practice- It is hard to find a moment for ourselves because of the daily pressures. However, if we do not find stillness and quietness, our lives become more complex and run out of balance. There are many ways to spare some time to meditate. Yoga, exercise, listening to music, cooking, sitting outside, and watching the night sky are the activities that bring inner peace and silence. Silence is one of the best ways to get real inspiration and rest.
2. Learn to live in the moment- We have lost the potential to be fully present. Our thoughts pull us in different directions. By engaging our minds in the current situations, we get to experience each and every moment we have. Our brain works differently when we give it a break from the past and focus on the present.
3. Plan on activities that make you happy- When we go to another place for holidays, we try out their exceptional food, go to famous spots, and buy unique things. But on a mental holiday, for our happiness, we need to have some happy hours. Happy hours are the hours that lightens up our moods and makes us delightful, these can be any activities- talking to your best friend, reading books, watching your favorite movies or shows.
During working hours as well, go for your happy breaks. When you commit yourself to work in hand, everything will move smoothly, and you will work efficiently, and more importantly, merrily. Once it becomes your daily habit, you will no longer experience stress or pressure but a peace of mind. If you are happy, eventually, your colleagues will be happy, and it will create a healthy environment altogether.
4. Journaling- It is the best way to get insights about your feelings, emotions, and behavior. All you have to do is take a diary and a pen and start writing about everything in your head and basically getting it out of your head. There is no one to judge your grammar or spellings. It is just you and your diary.
The Don’ts/ say NO to
1. Carrying unnecessary thoughts- On a real holiday, we do not take unnecessary clothes and belongings. Similarly, for a mental vacation, we should go without thoughts from work(oppressive) and the past. Delete unnecessary thoughts and pack your bags with the healthy(light) and positive ones.
2. Mobile Phones- Excessive screen time and especially the use of social media affect our mental peace immensely. The prime reason for insomnia and stress is smartphone usage. Digital detoxing for a mental vacation can turn out to be of full use. Begin this detox with small habits by minimizing the use of phones whenever possible.
3. Obsessive worries- Simply speaking- we worry too much about everything. Worrying about each and everything will take away the joy of the present and robs our energy and creativity. Commit to shedding your worries and become mindful when engaged in concern.
All these suggestions can be practiced daily, and your life will become peaceful and calm.
Concluding this, I would like to leave you with a question. How often do you take mind vacations? If you do, make a list of at least 3 things that make you feel great. And try to follow them regularly, especially during these unprecedented times.
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