We all love our vacations and these breaks form the highlight of most people’s year. We spend a great deal of time planning them which is part of the fun and they provide us with something to look forward to for the rest of the year. In these harsh economic times, however, it is tempting to make savings by cancelling the annual trip and if you are under pressure with your work it can feel frivolous to go away. I firmly believe that our breaks should never be missed and that they actually play an important role in helping us cope with our busy lives.

This year I had proof positive that travel can be the most effective therapy for those with busy and stressful lives. I was finding it hard to fulfil my work commitments and to make matters worse I was in the middle of a major makeover of my home. With the arrival of new wooden floor imminent I was spending every evening stripping ceilings and moving furniture in preparation and I couldn’t imagine how I was going to get everything done in time. I was seriously regretting having booked a skiing trip as a week away from the house was only going to make matters worse.

The day before my departure I was still rushing around in a desperate attempt to finish my DIY projects. I was still behind with my work, there was a pile of washing building up and I had yet to buy the timepiece that my friend wanted for his birthday. I was really stressed and completely overloaded and the last thing I felt like doing was getting up early to make my flight.

I travelled to the airport with a heavy heart rueing everything that I had not done and marvelling at the stupidity of booking the trip. The flight seemed to drag and I feared that I would spend the whole holiday worrying about what I had left behind. In the event I was totally wrong. As soon as I stepped off the plane I felt a strange sense of relief and after 7 days on the slopes having fun and some relaxing evenings with friends I realised that I hadn’t given my ceilings or my work a moment’s thought.

I returned from the trip a rejuvenated person and had a much better perspective on my life. The ceilings could wait as could the washing, my friend wasn’t bothered about the late receipt of the watch and I was much more focussed and effective in everything that I was doing. I soon caught up the backlog of work and with greatly increased energy and enthusiasm I finished the ceilings, got the floors laid and decorated the rooms.

Holidays recharge your batteries so effectively that rather than worry about losing time whilst you are away and falling behind you are actually liable to achieve more in the long run by having the break. Busy lives lead to stress and a tendency to get issues out of proportion and sometimes you need to remove yourself from that environment in order to deal with. A good vacation is more than just fun it is therapy too! How terrible, I am going to have to take more holidays!

Byline

Article by Sally Stacey