Vacations are a Great Way to Unwind
With summer just around the corner, I am sure a lot of you, like me, are already looking at vacations to go on. Vacations give us a moment to unwind and take a little break. And I am not talking about trips. Trips are where you take your whole family and you just end up parenting your kids in a foreign place...with things that could kill them. No, I am talking about getting the kids to the grandparents for a week while you and your significant other enjoy a little R&R.
Vacations allow us to do four things…
1. Unplug from the world around us
2. Relax
3. Reconnect with our significant other
4. Dream about the future
Give Your Brain a Break By Unplugging
Unplugging from your phone, not checking your email, gives your brain a break. You are able to discover and enjoy yourself without the pressures of being always connected. You are able to be present in the moment, fully, not hindered by the dings and chirps of email and phone calls. I recommend you turn off your phone to fully experience this.
You Have to Find Different Ways to Relax
Relaxing. Isn’t that what we all want? When you are leading an organization, you need time to relax. This might mean going on a hike, looking at nature or simply laying around on the beach to soak up the sun with a nice drink in your hand. Or reading a good book, for enjoyment, not work! When you are relaxing, you have no schedule and you have permission to be lazy. When you are always on, leading your organization, you need this for your own mental health.
Reconnecting With Your Significant Other is Key
Reconnecting with your significant other is a key to vacations. Remember, they are the ones who are your cheerleaders, who have stood by you in your organizational goals. A lot of the time, they are the unseen heroes of ideas and encouragement behind the scene. Have fun, enjoy each other’s company without the kids.
Dream About the Future With Your Family
Lastly, dream about the future. You have unlimited potential and unlimited access to your significant other. Spend it dreaming together, talking together. It doesn't have to just be about your organization, it could be about your own personal goals and future.
Ask yourself, where do I want to be in my relationships, organizationally in 3 to 5 years? What will my relationship or organization look like? The temptation will be to begin dreaming up ideas on how to get there. Don’t. Hold off until you return. This is just meant to give you inspiration. The real work will return once you return from your vacation.
Why are These Things Important?
Why these 4 things are vitally important is because oftentimes leaders don’t take time for self-care. But self-care is important because otherwise, leaders can burn out. And a burned out leader doesn’t do a lick of good for anyone in an organization.
We at Creative Studio Productions will be taking our own vacation of sorts. We have come to the end of the first season of our podcast. With summer just ahead of us, we will be taking time to dream and do a little R&R ourselves before our next season, which will start in September 2021. In the next season, we hope to have guests who are leaders help write and produce our podcast. We want to have them share some of their wisdom they have encountered in leading their own organizations.
