Go, go, go.  You’ve paid the big bucks for a hotel, activities, food and everything else under the sun, and you will enjoy it if it’s the last thing you do.  It’s easy to think we need to use every moment of vacation to sightsee, tour and explore.  But if you come home exhausted and drained, was it really a vacation?  Rest is beyond essential for your next trip and even just daily life.  It may seem like a waste of time, but it’s imperative for a successful trip.  Here’s why:

It’s important to be present.

No one is having fun when your eyes are drooping while your friend is trying to chat with you in line at Disney World.  When you’re starring in the Grouch Fest Show, it’s not all that fun.  Rest may not just be sleeping more; you may need to spend some time scrolling through Insta, reading a book, listening to a podcast or taking a walk.  If you are running on little sleep or are overwhelmed with all the work waiting for you on your desk, take a deep breath.  When you leave your mind in bed, at work or at school, you rob yourself of a true vacation.  This extends to breaks in your day-to-day life.  It’s takes incredibly more energy to be productive when you haven’t slept much or to-dos permeate your mind.  In order for you to truly absorb and appreciate the adventures waiting for you on vacation or even at home, choose to rest.

We all need to recharge.

You’re not Super Woman.  You’re human.  (Sorry for the spoiler alert, friends.)  I recently went on a weekend trip to the lake and didn’t have anything planned anything in the afternoon.  I could’ve hammocked or chatted with friends, but I took a two-hour nap instead.  No regrets.  Even when I saw photos and videos of friends jumping into the lake in the afternoon, I know I made the right decision with my nap.  On paper I may have “missed out” on fun at the lake, but I needed to recharge after a long, stressful week.  Even during my two weeks in Los Angeles, I took a handful of naps.  I could’ve gone to the park, chatted with friends, swam in the pool or taken a walk.  But during that time, I needed more rest.  No, I can’t add more to my travel “resume” of all the fun things I saw and did in L.A., but I took care of myself.  And still had a phenomenal trip.  We’re people, and our minds and bodies get tired.  That’s not bad; it’s normal.  So, don’t deny your fatigue because I promise you that it’s not going anywhere.

You’re the only one who can advocate for yourself.

The day I realized this was the day my life changed for the better.  Stop making excuses like, I’ll be fine.  I just need to toughen up.  Two more shots of espresso, and I can make this deadline.  No one knows your drowning in task lists and problems with difficult coworkers or friends.  During your trip, your gal pal might want to go see the city at night.  Compromise is so vital on a trip, but if you know you’re going to bite her head off when it’s 1 a.m. and there’s no end in sight, consider seeing if you can hold off till another night.  And plan accordingly: take a nap, sleep in or have more downtime during the following day.  Your family and friends love you dearly, but you are the only one who truly knows what’s going on inside.  If you don’t schedule mandatory chill time, no one is going to do it for you.  So, yay adulting.  

Rest ensures that you can take on future adventures.

I’m hands-down an extrovert; I love people and get so drained from alone time.  But alone time is mandatory for survival, friends.  I do love grabbing coffee with a gal pal or going to dinner with friends, and I often neglect the value of down-time until I’m burnt out.  If you’re always drained and burnt out, you could miss out on more future adventures than the ones you forego to get that rest.  You can’t do it all.  All things in moderation, and this includes rest.

Okay, this sounds wonderful, but how do I realistically rest when life is crazy?

Napping is fantastic but not always practical.  With holidays approaching, you know all that family time can be draining, so plan accordingly.  Headphones are a beautiful thing because they connect you to Coldplay and podcasts (some of my favorite things).  Let your gal pal know you’re a bit drained and need some time to scroll through FB.  If you can’t escape your family and friends (lol you know you love them), choose activities that take little brainpower like watching a movie.  And you can easily surf Pinterest at the same time.  Win win.

Learning to say no and choosing to rest are some of the hardest but most beautiful things in all of life.  Rest is mandatory whether you’re on vacation or just doing life, so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

Bises,

Kristin

{How do you like to rest and relax?}