I have been back in the full swing of day-to-day life after returning home from a vacation at the lake and spending some time at home. Ryan was also traveling for work for the better part of this week so it forced me to be uber-organized and didn’t leave much time to spare. When I was on vacation I felt so at ease. I am pretty laid-back to begin with, but I had to figure out how to make this feeling more a part of my daily existence.
When you go on vacation do you find yourself trying to ‘soak-in’ or absorb as much pleasure as possible in an attempt to bring some pleasure back with you to your day-to-day life? When I was out on the lake I would look around, close my eyes and try to commit the smells and sounds of the lake to memory. I did the same thing when relaxing on the deck at sundown, drinking wine by the fire and when I was soaking up the sun reading a book. Why is it we find an easier time deriving pleasure out of the small things while on vacation? What I want to know is how do I have more ‘vacation’ feelings when I am at home?
I think the answer is simple; just have those feelings. When on vacation I am not rushed, there is no schedule and no clocks (I already stopped wearing a watch years ago). Because there is nowhere else to be but right there, in the moment I am more apt to notice things like the smell of the lake, a blue jay perched on a tree or how the sun feels when it hits my face. In an effort to bring that vacation feeling home and have a lake-state of mind long after returning home (especially if I won’t be returning to vacation anytime soon) here are some ways I am going to continue the feeling.
- Feel more. Notice how I am feeling at any given moment.
- Shut my eyes to hear and feel more
- Listen. Be aware of sounds that I may not normally hear. I just noticed I can hear crickets outside the window.
- Look around
- Think less. Especially when listening.
- Slow down
- Be present. Be where I am now, be somewhere else later.
- Cook un-fussy food
- Dine al fresco
- Get outside. Commit to spending at least an hour outside daily.
- Smile more, especially if I notice a frown coming on. It really is contagious.
I learned that I don’t enjoy the feeling of needing a vacation. I discovered what I really need is to regularly shake up routines, change the scenery or just shift my thinking.
