It is June. It is getting warmer, and the allure of summer and vacation is ahead of us. When is your next vacation? Do you have one planned? Furthermore, how many days do you get?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Paid vacations were available to 76 percent of private industry workers in March 2017. On average, workers received 10 paid vacation days after one year of service. The number of paid vacation days increases slightly as tenure with the current employer increases. After five years, workers received 15 paid days on average. They received an average of 17 days after 10 years and 20 days after 20 years.”
Assuming that you work five days a week, there are about 260 possible workdays. If you get 15 days of vacation, you might work 245 days out of the year. If we remove 10 days for personal or health reasons, that leaves us with 235 days of work a year. Some Americans refuse some, if not all, of their vacation due to fear, guilt, or workplace pressure. And yet, according to the article “The Data-Driven Case for Vacation” from the Harvard Business Review, “Statistically, taking more vacation results in greater success at work as well as lower stress and more happiness at work and home.”
So what can be done now? Take a 10-minute vacation.
Find a comfortable seat or lay down if you are able to do so. It is most important to find a place where you can be still and comfortable. Try to find a place that is quiet. Perhaps turn on some calming music or nature sounds and place a 10-minute timer on your phone. Then begin to visualize.
Imagine yourself walking down a shaded path that borders a little stream. Tall trees surround you. You pass through areas that are allowing the sun to beam through. Curiosity leads you down the path as you want to know where this stream will lead to. As you walk, you notice how it feels to have the sun shine on your shoulders and then move into the shade. A calm breeze is present. Notice what the air feels like against your skin. The breeze brings about wonderful scents from this path. Your curiosity wants to identify the smells, and you keep walking.
As you continue to walk, you begin to notice the ground and its texture. You notice how your feet strike and how the texture in the path is changing. You pause to look at the stream and can see that it opens up ahead. You turn and instead see a beautiful, calm animal. What animal is it? What color is the animal? You see the eyes of the animal, and you are calmed by them. The animal allows you to continue on your path, and when you turn to thank it, it is gone.
When you reach the clearing, the stream opens up into a large body of water. You look around and notice the visible edges around the body of water. You also see where the water meets the sky. A thin line is the only thing that defines the sky from the water.
You decide to sit and take in the splendor of this place. Sit for a few minutes in your special place.
Once your timer has rung, allow yourself to return to “real life.” As your day or week continues, and as stress begins to rise, come back to your special vacation spot. The more often you practice visualization, the stronger the image will become and the easier it will be to recall a calm, quiet place when necessary.
Enjoy your 10-minute vacation daily or weekly and give yourself some much-needed recovery time.
Natalia Foote is the owner of threeR, a company bringing mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices to the workplace. Her mission in life is spreading love and light in the world. When not spending time with her family, you can find Natalia taking and teaching yoga all around Lake Nona.
