Mini-Vacations to Relieve Stress

Last night I was walking home from the tanning salon listening to Billy Joel’s “Glass Houses” on my iPod, and I felt really, really good: both mentally and physically. I actually felt like I do when I’m on vacation; if only for a brief moment in an otherwise hectic week. I felt as though ten minutes in a tanning bed and a twenty minute walk had completely reset my system. For that moment I was devoid of any stress, and I was filled with total relaxation and endorphin-induced bliss and calm – sort of like I feel when I’m laying in a cot somewhere on a beach in Mexico.

The purpose of this article is not to debate the merits and risks of artificial tanning (I’m doing it to help correct an apparent Vitamin D deficiency), but rather to highlight the benefits of ‘mini-vacations’ – whatever form that takes for you (likewise, this article isn’t a plug for Billy Joel: I just happen to think that Glass Houses is a great album, and it always succeeds in taking me out of my head for awhile!)

I thought about these mini-vacations, and how I don’t do this often enough. I have a habit of waiting for the ‘right time’ to engage in self-care, and I tend to view a break as something that needs to cost money and time. But stress relief isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And it can be done for free and in small increments.

I also came to realize that I don’t always know I’m stressed until I’m not any more – and that it’s a good idea to be proactive instead of reactive. When stress starts to show up physically, it’s gone too far: when you start to experience things like gastrointestinal problems, tension headaches, and problems sleeping, you haven’t really been listening to your body up to that point.

So a good way to combat stress is to be proactive with our health by taking these ‘mini-vacations’. For me that might be a ten-minute tan and a walk with Billy Joel. But a mini-vacation can take a million forms (and of course a mental health breaks should be longer than a half hour, but sometimes it’s all we can afford).

What do you do to be proactive with your stress? Do you take regular time off? Do you practice good time management? Do you stay active and engaged with your passions? Do you get enough sleep, eat well, and meditate? Could you make it a point to take regular mini-vacations?