Just hearing the word “Vacation” makes most of us smile.
Getting a few days off work to go somewhere new and take in the sites exactly what most of us crave. It’s also wonderful to take time off and be with family and just enjoy each others company.
That is what I am about to head off and do and I could not be more excited!
My cousin and her fiancé are getting married this weekend and in less than 24 hours we are all head off to the east coast to celebrate their love and enjoy all the fun that goes along with a big family wedding.
But those hours before you officially sit in your seat on the plane don’t always feel as joy filled as the vacation itself.
There are all the things you want to get done at work, the laundry and of course packing.
That delicate balance of bringing it all without overpacking.
I haven’t found that balance yet, but I’m optimistic one day I’ll find my sweet spot.
It’s almost like a pre-vacation ritual is running around like a chicken with your head cut off explaining how stressed and overwhelmed you are because you about to go on vacation.
Does something seem wrong with that?
Hopefully it does. And that’s likely because there IS something wrong with that.
You don’t have to feel massive panic because you decided to take some time to go on vacation.
I strongly believe hitting the reset button when you go into pre-vacation freak-out mode is essential.
And I’m sure many people reading this are thinking that their situation is the exception and they simply can’t. Their INSERT HERE (job, school, family) is fair more challenging than mine so they are naturally overwhelmed.
And maybe that’s true. But maybe you can do what you can to reframe you approach to vacation so you glide happily into your well-deserved time off, instead of running into it like a person with your hair on fire.
How is it possible? First, realize that work will tick along just fine without you.
While you may have job that is stressful or highly dependent on your presence, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve time off. Maybe it even means you deserve it off more than most of us!
Letting people know in advance about your time off and trying to wrap things up so no one is left holding the bag is the right thing to do.
But you don’t have to do it all.
Your coworkers will make it. And if they can’t, they should know that too. No company should depend on any one person never taking vacation. That’s insane.
Getting yourself ready for vacation doesn’t have to be the challenge that most of us make it out to be either.
To whatever extend you can, start the laundry early and make a list of what you need to pack.
You’ll feel so much better if you are relaxing and heading out to dinner the night before your big trip instead of speeding through loads of laundry and running to the store for last minute toiletries.
But if that ends up being how your night before your vacation goes, roll with it. It is what it is already. Stressing and being angry at yourself won’t change it.
Besides, you are literally going on vacation the next day. How bad can life be??
