Mental health has been a hot topic of late. Practice mindfulness, they say. Try mediating. I’ve had a hard time fitting both into my day-to-day routine and although I hit the yoga mat three to four times a week, I can never turn my mind fully off.
A few weeks ago, I had a free day off from work where I got to do whatever I wanted, as long as it was something that would benefit future development, either personally or professionally. I used it as a day to prep this blog for launch and explore a new neighborhood in Chicago that we’re interested in moving to. I wasn’t expecting it to be anything magical, I assumed there would be work emails that needed to be attended to. And since only a small group from the company got this day, I figured it wouldn’t be taken seriously as a true “I’m out of the office, I’ll get back to you tomorrow” kind of day.
Weirdly enough, I woke up refreshed, knowing I had the option to not respond to anything that didn’t need immediate attention. I headed to a new (to me) coffee shop in the new neighborhood, turned my phone on Do Not Disturb and started working on the blog. Around lunch time, I took a nice walk through the neighborhood, ate lunch outside by myself and explored a few boutiques and shops.
I quickly realized how important it was to have this day to myself. I felt re-energized, I was full of ideas and was able to write creatively and freely. When our trip to the Bahamas neared, I knew I needed a longer version of this day, and the lack of free WiFi in our hotel was the perfect excuse to really unplug.
In the Bahamas, I read How to Get Shit Done by Erin Falconer and one of her statements really stood out to me. When you’re extremely busy, whether at work or at home, your right brain is overused to the point that your left brain has no freedom for creative thinking. When your right brain has a break, that’s when your creativity can shine through. That’s why you wake up in the middle of the night with a solution to a problem or come up with a great idea in the shower. I like to think mental health vacations are just an extended version of that—unplugging so you can come back refreshed, whether it’s one day in the middle of the week or a few days on vacation.
So how can you do this? These are a few tips I learned from my attempt and they work wherever, whenever.
The most important rule. Turn your phone off.
If you have to check in, set up international data or use the hotel’s WiFi for short periods to load your emails. I can’t even explain the bliss of not being nagged with constant notifications and not feeling the need to check every time your phone buzzes. Although I’m technically unplugged, of course my brain is still buzzing with thoughts and ideas, so I’ll type them out into Notes on my phone so I can take action on them once I’m back online. (I know that sounds ridiculous to say “unplug” while on vacation, but type things into your phone while you’re at the pool, but I’m horrible at remembering ideas unless I write them down.)
Read a book/magazine.
Getting lost in another story is the perfect way to distance yourself from what’s going on back home or back at work.
Say no to things you don’t want to do.
Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you have to go out every single night. You don’t have to plan a ton of activities. (To that point, I highly recommend taking mental health days when you’re in a beachy, laid-back location, not a place where you need to explore while you’re there.) Stay in, watch a movie, take the time to relax, catch up on sleep, take a bubble bath and answer to nobody. Just because you could do all of that at home, doesn’t mean you regularly fit it in to your everyday schedule.
Drink coffee to enjoy the drink, not for the caffeine.
I personally love the experience of ordering an iced latte and sitting in a coffee shop (preferably an outdoor patio) to enjoy it. Some boutique places will serve them in a nice glass if you tell them you’re staying. It’s a nice treat.
Don’t bring anyone you’d need to entertain.
If you’re single, go alone! Or take an independent friend who can take care of themselves if you decide to do something different than them. If you’ve got a significant other, use this as a way to reconnect without the distractions of phones and other needs getting in the way.
Whether you can make it a day or make it a week, mental health vacations are a great way to reset priorities, avoid burnout and push pause.