How many times have you gone skidding into vacation, arriving exhausted from trying to “earn” it before you leave? Then feeling guilty for any loose ends you were unable to tie up in time, maybe even brooding the first few days because you’re so burned out that you aren’t even enjoying your precious time off nearly as much as you thought you would?
Research shows that we can experience diminishing returns when we have too much free time, which might explain the onset of vacation blues. In this episode, I’m sharing my rollercoaster that arises at the beginning of longer stretches of free time and a few strategies for settling in to find true peace and relaxation.
🌟3 Key Takeaways:
- Give yourself transition time on both ends of time off: switching from a pre-vacation work sprint to instant R&R is highly unlikely!
- Sometimes you just need a day to float and not ask anything of yourself, including the pressure to relax (oh, the irony!).
- Tune in: What’s sitting just below the surface? What are you noticing once the busyness and daily routine recedes?
📝Permission: To relax! Leave things undone. You do not have to “earn” your time off by working yourself into the ground preparing. You also hereby have permission to take a longer break than you think you need, allowing space for a slow unwinding when you arrive.
✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: For your next vacation or big block of free time, buy yourself extra time and mental margin by starting your email autoresponder a week early, and ending it a week after you return.
📘Books Mentioned:
🔗Resources Mentioned:
🎧Related Podcast Episodes:
💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »
🌟Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review.
❤️ Join Jenny’s private BFF community for access to a monthly Q&A call, a private podcast feed with bonus content, and a community forum to exchange ideas and feedback with fellow Heart-Based Business owners.
💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join
🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/toolkit
💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey
☎️ Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask
🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts
📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/166
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
