Take a vacation from your stress
When we think about vacation, we often associated it with sitting on the beach for hours without interruption, hearing only the crash of the waves and the call of the seagulls. But inevitably that image is followed by the reality of kids running alongside of your beach blanket kicking sand in your face or someone asking you where you put the suntan lotion or wanting money for ice cream. Is there really peace at the beach?
Summer at the shore doesn’t have to be a chore. If you follow some simple rules, you may be able to get some relaxation from that vacation.
1. Travel when there is less traffic. Avoid unnecessary stress by traveling at unusual times. If that can’t be avoided, plug in an aromatherapy diffuser (with real essential oils, preferably from Divine Creations Aromatherapy ;-) ) for improved state of mind, turn up your favorite tunes and sing along, or play a word association game to distract you. Find ways of making the time standing still into more vacation time and keep your mind off the list of things you need to do when you get to your destination. Stay in the now; later will always come!
2. Don’t overschedule yourself. Vacation is supposed to be about just that- a time out! We are so used to planning out every minute of our day that we forget to plan time out. So start with that. Plan one activity for the day and leave room for serendipity. Sometimes learning how to go with the flow is just what the doctor ordered. Often, spontaneity leads to the most memorable times and the most fun. So, leave the schedule at home and go with the flow….
3. On the subject of scheduling, a couple of weeks in advance, research what activities you may want to enroll your kids in or that you may want to do as a family and put it on the list. You also may want to have that list for your rainy day back-up plan. Schedule the things you are certain about and leave others to chance. Make sure to plan extra time around those activities for random spontaneous ideas but having designated time for the kids activities gives you time to think about YOU time. Maybe take a yoga class while they are in an art class.
4. Make sure to do some family activities. Crabbing, sailing, fishing, jet skiing, kite flying, building sand castles, riding bikes or even just cooking together builds bonding and lasting memories. These positive experiences fuel you for life’s downturns. Keep the pace high on the good vibes and let the good times roll!
5. Take pressure off yourself by encouraging the spirit of sharing. That means that everyone shares in responsibilities. Designate in advance who is in charge of taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms, walking the dog, washing the dishes, etc. This will improve flow and freedom and encourage accountability. Remember, everyone is on vacation; no one person should get the responsibility of taking care of all the rest. Give yourself permission to take a break too. Got it, mom?
6. Lose that need to control everything! Vacation is about rest and peace of mind. Delegate responsibilities and deal with situations as they arise, but also ALLOW others to do things for you, ASK for help, let people BE themselves and DO for themselves. You may notice that when you let go a little bit, you get rewarded with nice surprises, like actual quiet time.
7. Communicate! Most stress comes from a lack of proper communication. Remove that stress by clearly defining your plan or your expectations and LISTEN to others needs as well. When all are heard, more relaxed enjoyment follows.
8. Don’t go out to eat hungry! Realize that there will usually be a wait so either go out earlier than when you are actually hungry or eat something to tie you over. Driving and finding a parking space and waiting in line while you are hungry will always put you on edge. Remove that anxiety simply by snacking on an apple or whole food snack with fiber.
9. Enjoy the simple things: breathe the clean, fresh, salt air deeply, watch the sunrise over the ocean and the sunset by the bay, listen to the waves crash and the birds call, feel the warmth of the sun and the sand under your toes, enjoy that outside shower, eat simply off the grill, play some family games that encourage interaction and laughter. Laugh, sing, breathe, stretch, smile!
10. Build relaxation into each day: take a walk on the beach, take a long hot sea salt bath to soothe sore muscles, sip some Kava Kava or chamomile tea while reading or playing games, eat whole grains to boost B vitamins to help calm your nervous system, take calcium and magnesium at night to help you sleep and to repair muscles you used to bike and walk, go get a massage, stretch or take a yoga class, roll-on some essential oils that perk you up or calm you down, trade foot massages with your partner or a friend, do some deep breathing and meditation on the beach at sunrise or sunset, do yoga on the beach at sunrise or sunset followed by meditation. Try to steal at least 15 minutes first thing in the morning for YOU time to re-charge your batteries.
If you'd like to book an appointment for a healing massage with acupressure and reiki or a life coaching session to manage stress, BOOK A SESSION HERE or call 855-206-HEAL (4325)
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