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When was the last time you had a vacation? Has it been so long ago that you can't even remember?
Many of us view vacations as needless or superfluous; we say 'it must be nice' to those we see who are getting away. But, inside we're a little jealous and wish we could do the same.
We tell ourselves we can't afford to take the time or spend the money right now. Or, we tell ourselves that we'll have time later in life, once we're retired.
If you own your own business or love your work, it may be even more difficult to get away; you might have zero income when you're not working. Or, you may be telling yourself that your work is your life; though you thoroughly enjoy it, a break can still do you good.
An essential component of living a balanced life, a life in which you feel whole, complete, and have a deep sense of well-being, includes making time for fun and leisure. Making time for this is just as important as eating right is to your health or as having control of your money and spending are to your finances.
If your lifestyle currently doesn't include making time to get away, it's probably because you don't have it high on your priority list; you may not realize how important it is to your peace of mind and well-being. Here are five reasons to take a vacation and put it higher on your list of priorities:
- It adds variety to your life. It's human nature to repeat daily routines, and repeated routines become 'ruts'. A change in your environment is an easy way to mix up your routines. Variety is like a breath of fresh air; it refreshes.
- It allows your creativity to surface. Ruts aren't conducive to creativity.
- It helps you gain perspective. When you are immersed in something, it's difficult to be objective about it. Getting away will help you see parts of your life in a new light. Having a new perspective is important; it will help you assess whether your actions are aligned with what you really want out of life.
- It helps you dial down a notch or two on your stress levels. If you tend to live a fast-paced life, use caffeine to keep you going, when one project ends you take on two more, you probably don't even realize how stressed you are. You know you need to wind down a bit when the thought of slowing down stresses you!
- It frees up time and energy, which could then be invested into your own self-care and into important relationships in your life.
We all make time for those activities we believe to be important and we spend money in alignment with what we value. I challenge you to look at how you spend these two valuable commodities (time & money). Levya Braman
