Vacation Mode: Easier Said Than Done

Airport selfie! Vacation, here I come! 🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️

…Or at least that was the plan.

This summer I took a little time off. I was excited for it, I convinced myself that I deserved it, and that all I had to do was to “disconnect” and focus on where I was going (which was actually in Jasper, Alberta, for some glorious hiking with a friend from university).

Before I left, I reminded  myself of the real objective: Some lovely, well-deserved time off.  This particular trip was only going to be a few days away. So one would think that it wouldn’t have been too difficult to step back, get in the vacation mindset, recharge, and create space for something other than work.

And yet…

As much as I aspire to be one of those people who cheerfully shuts their laptop, walks out the door, and doesn’t think twice about it, my brain sometimes has other ideas. In fact, it had a LOT of ideas.

• Did I forget anything?
• What if something important happens while I’m gone?
• How much is going to be waiting for me when I get back?

I was amazed at how quickly those thoughts were able to sneak in and steal some of the excitement. 😵‍💫

But I fought it. And put all my efforts into focusing on 3 things:

Time to rest.

Time to recharge.

Time to be present.

I had to keep reminding myself that we might never completely eliminate uncertainty. But at some point, we have to trust that we have prepared as best we can, and allow ourselves permission to enjoy the break.

So I’m curious…

Am I the only one who feels this way before a vacation?

If you struggle with this as well, and spend more of your vacation preparation time stressing out rather than focusing on what’s ahead…please know that you’re not alone.

And please share….what’s your process for quieting those thoughts and actually enjoying your time away? 😊