June 2008
Be Happy and Healthy! Take a Vacation!
It is summer and vacation time again. This year there is a new twist. The economy and specifically gas prices are making people reconsider vacations. Americans have always been good at putting off vacations so this year they have a built in excuse.
According to an Expedia.com poll a third of all Americans do not take all their vacation days. The Bureau of Labor Statics says that one quarter of all Americans get no paid vacation! That was a surprise to me although as a business owner in a solo practice I get no paid vacation either.
I have written on the topic of vacations before. You can find many of the benefits in my list of Ten Reasons Everyone Needs a Vacation
A recent New York Times article by Alina Tugend entitled Vacations Are Good For You, Medically Speaking makes the point that recent studies show that vacations are necessary for good health. The article sites two different health studies (one with females and the other males) that showed a high percentage of coronary problems occur for those who do not vacation regularly.
A vacation gives you time to unwind. It allows you to de-stress and relax. There is research evidence you sleep better during and after your vacation. I have always been amazed that that relaxed vacation calmness lasts for a few days when I return.
By the way for those who carry cell phones and Blackberries to check on work back at the office on their vacation, there have been studies to show that you are less likely to receive the benefits of vacation according to the NY Times article.
So if you haven't planned your vacation yet, now is the time to do it. If you are the type to check in with the office, find a place where cell phones and Blackberries don't work so you can truly relax. (It can be hard to unhook from the cell phone/Blackberry addiction! but worth it.)
If you have young children, vacations with them can be exhausting. That is not the kind of vacation that relaxes! Young families need to take two vacations, one with the family and one for the parents alone. As a Grandmother I am always delighted to be asked to baby sit while my daughter and son-in law go on vacation. I once went to Disney World with them so they could have time with each other and I could watch the children. If you have this option, you get a rest and please your parents too.
For my vacation this year, I will be participating in the Berkshire Choral Festival. I enjoy vacations where I do something I don't get enough of during the year. For me that is singing. I'll spend a week learning and rehearsing Carmina Burana and then with a group of other singers we will perform it on July 19th for an audience. If you live near Sheffield MA I'd love it if you came to hear me!
Whether you like adventurous vacations, learning vacations, traveling vacations or just sit by the pool vacations, it is important to change your environment once or twice a year and just have some fun. (What is all that work for?) Where you go or what you do isn't as important as just enjoying yourself and letting go for a bit. If you haven't scheduled your vacation yet, do it today.
Take Action
- Vacations don't have to be exotic. How many of us have gone abroad but never visited the interesting places tourists from other countries visit near our own home. Make a list of the places close by that you have always wanted to visit and plan your vacation around them.
- Are you an email junkie even on vacation? Start to think about ways to cut down on checking even when you are not on vacation. It wastes time anyway. Make a list of things you can do to eliminate a lot of email while you are on vacation and implement your ideas before vacation.
- If you are having difficulty scheduling a vacation, perhaps I can help. Here are two different lists that might help you to manage your time in such a way that you have time for a vacation. Delegating work helps you to free up your time. Here is a list on how to delegate. Read my list on managing interruptions which is another way to free up your time. This month's special offer has 11 such lists in the e-book with comments from me as well.
- Feel like you are busy all the time but not as productive as you would like to be? Use my Time Management Diagnostic to identify the areas in your practice that could use improvement. The cost for the Diagnostic and a 1 hour consultation is $250. Send an email to asparker@asparker.com to schedule your consultation and arrange for delivery of the diagnostic.