Last summer we took a much needed (and over-extended) vacation to the Midwest U.S. We travelled through 15 states, saw the sites, enjoyed the beauty, and most of all, took time to rest.
People thought we were crazy! We drove a pop-up camper over 5,500 miles – all the way out to Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and back (with a four-year-old). I remember hearing the comments, “Really, you call THAT a vacation? Camping is not my idea of a vacation – give me a Five Star hotel.” Well, let me share with you why it was the best vacation ever.
We actually took the time to rest and enjoy our family. We breathed in fresh air, watched nature all around us and disconnected from our phones and all electronic devices. I will always remember seeing the enormous number of stars in the sky while camping on the side of a mountain in Colorado. When I woke up at 3 a.m. (don’t ask me why, because that’s personal), I was awestruck with the amount of stars that were in the sky. It was like something from a movie! Unbelievable doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling of relaxation and peacefulness that it brought to my soul.
This vacation transformed our family. My husband decided to take the advice of Darren Hardy, CEO of Success Magazine. He decided to make “one small change” that really transformed him. His one small change was to drink only water (instead of following his craving for Dr. Pepper). I had never seen him so energetic and happy. My biggest “wow moment” for my husband was when we walked part of Uncle Tom’s Trail in the Yellowstone National Forest, also known as Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon.
Taking the time to rest is important to your mental and emotional health. And, I’m not just talking about a 15 minute “break” in the middle of the day. I’m talking about scheduling some time to do absolutely nothing. This includes unplugging from the computer, iPhone and all electronic devices. We work hard and play hard –- we should also take time to rest. Whatever you need to do will still be there tomorrow. As long as you have prioritized your list of things to do and you won’t be missing any deadlines, give yourself permission to slow down and rest.
Allowing yourself to rest will actually regenerate your energy level and enable you to accomplish more than if you pushed and pushed yourself.
When we arrived back from vacation at the end of June, our entire summer was super relaxed. We even started the school year in “vacation mode,” with no stress, worries or anxiety.
I can understand that you may not be able to take a cross-country road trip in order to rest. This is the first time that we had done it ourselves. However, before the summer is over, take some time to rest and spend time with family. Make memories that will last forever.
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