Today, I want to write about holiday not only because it’s summer and it feels like the best time for a blog on this topic.
After a very long time, I went on a summer holiday and it was the most amazing break. It made me think how often we don’t take a break and keep on working or just don’t find the time to allow ourselves to take a break. Sometimes other priorities take over.
Each of us has a different ideal holiday and a vision of how a perfect holiday looks like and how we want to spend our time off.
When you plan your working year, first decide when you want to take a holiday and where you want to go. Put it in your diary, book the time off and schedule your work around it. It might seem crazy and you might think that work comes first and you could not possibly afford this way of planning. Do it and you will see the difference. Your work will go around it – remember that you decide what takes priority in your life and what really matters.
When you will be looking back at the year you will most probably remember all the great memories and experiences you had during your holiday and places you visited. You will remember your work successes and progress you made but the number of spreadsheets completed and reports written probably won’t be the things that will spring to your mind as something most memorable!
You might say that you don’t have time or money to go on a holiday. However, once you make space for a holiday and decide where you would like to go you start working towards it. And you don’t have to go abroad to have a break. This is your time – to relax, reflect, take stock and just let yourself be in the moment. Slow down. Have a break from the tube and trains. Break the morning routine. This is the time to catch up with the pile of fiction books that have been waiting for you. Time to explore. Meet new people. Take pictures. Have fun. Connect with yourself.
And remember to set up your out of office! Have a break from your work emails and reduce social media and technology usage. You will see how this will help to have a real break.
If you have been on holiday already, I hope you enjoyed it. If it’s ahead of you – have a great time, relax and allow yourself to do all the things that you enjoy which bring you pleasure like walking, swimming, sunbathing, exploring, reading, playing...
You decide – it’s your holiday and you deserve it!