Why is Vacation Important?
I love traveling. And I mean love it.
In a past life, I was probably an explorer. Or in another timeline, maybe I’m a travel blogger.
Today, I’ll step into my alternate universe self and share some of the things I learned on my recent vacation to Key West, FL.
Two weeks ago, I went to Key West with my husband and some of my in-laws. We had a great time! Here are some lessons I learned (or was reminded of) during our time there, including why vacation is so important:
The sun (& being active) makes a significant difference
Now, this one I knew but it was as clear as I’ve ever experienced during this vacation. We went from the middle of dreary, Wisconsin winter weather to sunny, 70-80 degree Florida days.
That is a significant shift in weather, and we loved it. My husband especially. Some people seem to be more sensitive to the weather than others, and he tends to be one of those people. He was noticeably happier and more relaxed during our time in Florida - even though he was sick for a lot of it!
Not only does the sun give natural vitamin D, which helps boost mood and energy, but the warm weather also allowed us to spend most of our time being active outside.
Key West is a walkable and bike-able island. We used the group’s rental car only twice during our whole stay - once to get groceries and another time to drive over an hour to a different island, which would’ve been an extremely long bike ride!
Along with walking and biking most everywhere we went, we also went kayaking twice. One of the kayaking trips was at night with light up LED kayaks!
My husband has a pretty active job, but for me, as much as I love being a therapist, the biggest drawback is how sedentary this job is.
I make a strong effort to move my body every day, but it is a challenge to get around the fact that I’m often sitting for 5+ hours each day during sessions with clients.
I use my standing desk as much as possible. I take the stairs. I lift weights and do cardio workouts at least 4 days per week. I stretch most days (working on making it daily!). When the weather is nice enough, I take walks, ride bikes, and go kayaking when I can.
But with all of that, my hips and neck still get tight and sore from sitting so much during work hours.
After this week of walking and biking so frequently, my body felt great! It felt loose and healthy with no or very minimal soreness (until a bumpy boat ride on our last day - but more on that below).
You can do and learn new things anytime
This is another reminder, not a new lesson, but it’s an important one that I like to share with others.
You can do and learn new things anytime, at any age.
On our last full day in Key West, we went on a fishing charter. Before meeting my husband, I had never gone fishing. And we don’t go often, but we’ve gone a handful of times over the last few years.
I still hadn’t caught a fish on my own yet. My husband allowed me to reel in a fish that he caught, but I still hadn’t caught and reeled in my own.
Finally on this trip, I did! I caught at least 10 fish, including a Bonito that was a fighter as I was trying to reel it in.
I was so excited and proud of myself for catching these fish on my own. I could have given up after those previous experiences of catching no fish, but I was determined to at least catch one - and ended up catching many more than that!
It helped add to the experience that, after the charter, we were able to take some of our fish to a local restaurant to have them prepare it for us to eat.
Our fishing captain with me and the Bonito that I caught.
I like to share this because I’ve found that many people hold themselves back from trying new things for many different reasons. Maybe because they think they’re too old or young, they are scared to fail or not be good at something right away, they are not the “right” gender or kind of person to do a certain thing.
Society in general, and sometimes even family and friends, can set these arbitrary rules for us that negatively impact our willingness to try something new.
“You’re too old for that” or “You shouldn’t be doing that” or “That’s for men/women/LGBTQ community/athletic people/etc.”
Who set these rules? Why do we need to follow them? Or feel like we need to?
I’ve had young clients who enjoyed hobbies like crocheting but were teased for doing a “granny” hobby, which led them to not wanting to crochet anymore.
I know people who don’t allow themselves to try new hobbies because they want to stick with things that they’re already successful at, and therefore comfortable with. They may try something new briefly but stop before giving themselves a chance to learn and grow with it.
Don’t let these arbitrary, and frankly, nonsense, rules hold you back.
I get seasick
This was a new lesson for me.
I have never gotten seasick. Although, living in Wisconsin, I have spent more time on lakes than oceans, and Wisconsin lakes waves aren’t quite the same as the oceans.
The day we went on the fishing charter was rocky, to say the least. And my husband and I were sitting in the front of the boat, which I would later learn is appropriately nicknamed the “rodeo seat.”
As mentioned above, my body hurt the next day from bouncing up and down on the waves, but the sea sickness didn’t kick in until the boat stopped at the first fishing spot.
The best way to describe it is that I felt hungover. I wasn’t, but I certainly felt like it. Nauseous, headache, felt better crouched down than standing up.
I took a Dramamine pill, drank water, and felt slightly better, but it wasn’t until after I threw up that I really felt better.
After throwing up (a few times), the feeling seemed to completely go away, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the fishing trip without feeling seasick.
As the college kids say, I “puked and rallied.”
We can learn new things about our bodies at anytime, too.
Gratitude is a wonderful thing
I recognize that being able to take a vacation is a privilege. It is a privilege that I am very thankful for.
It is helpful for me to remember that and to really appreciate all of the experiences that I’ve been able to have on vacations.
Sometimes I hear people say, “We didn’t go that far” or “We only stayed for a few days.” There’s no shame in that at all!
My husband and I love Jamaica, Hawaii, Key West, and the southern coast of Cali (really, anywhere with island-y vibes and on the ocean), but we also love driving 2 hours to go kayaking on the Kickapoo River on the West side of Wisconsin for the day or going to the Wisconsin Dells for one or two nights.
You don’t need to go for long periods of time or to far away places in order to enjoy your time away and to get the benefits of it.
Heck, you really don’t need to go anywhere. A staycation can be a great way to spend your time off of work.
You can have fun, relax, reset, try new experiences, and learn new things wherever you go.
Vacation is healing
Or at least, it can be. You may know that I’ve been on my own grieving journey for coming up on a year now.
As grief goes, it is a rollercoaster of emotions - or more fitting, especially for the rocky fishing charter ride, grief comes in waves.
Right before this vacation, I was experiencing one of those waves of sadness as we got ready to sell my grandparent’s house.
It’s just a house, right?
If you’ve had a similar experience, you may have had that thought for yourself. I certainly didn’t expect to feel as sad as I did about the selling of the house.
But as I thought about it, it makes sense. Their house was a safe place for me for 30+ years.
It was the place I could go anytime. A place where I had no responsibilities - other than happily helping them as they got older. A place where my grandpa was endlessly supportive and interested in my personal and business life. A place where my grandma was highly concerned about whether I had eaten and, even when I had, offered me something to eat again. A place of unconditional love.
Although with the loss of my grandpa, the house would not be the same or feel the same again, it is still hard to imagine life without having that safe haven to retreat to.
Post-vacation, I’m feeling much more at peace with this experience.
The physical movement, the sun, the fun and relaxation, and the new experiences helped me move through some of the emotional pains of the past year.
Lessons Learned (Or Reminded Of) & Shared With You
If you’re not already, ask your doctor about testing your Vitamin D levels and taking vitamin D supplements. For those of us who live in environments like Wisconsin (with less sun for large parts of the year), you may even benefit from a prescribed vitamin D pill, instead of the over the counter pills. Vitamin D has physical and mental health benefits.
Within your physical capabilities, I hope you’re able to find some way to move your body on most days. Body movement also has a positive impact on your physical and mental health.
It’s good for us to continue to try new things throughout our lives. To fail. To learn. To grow. To get to know ourselves as we grow and change.
Try to reframe vacations for yourself. They don’t need to be long or far away to be beneficial. Try to stay present while you’re there. Try to reflect on what you enjoyed and learned while on your vacation. And very importantly, take your time off! Use all of your PTO and or intentionally schedule time off throughout the year.
Vacation can be healing.
So, Why is Vacation Important?
It’s important for all of the reasons explained above, including that it’s helpful for your personal growth and mental wellbeing.
It gives us time away, new experiences, fun, and relaxation, which can all play a role in our ability to grow and learn.
As Stephen King wrote in The Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
He was not wrong! If we’re constantly working, without taking breaks, we can lose our sense of joy and wonder with the world, with our lives, and with ourselves.
When you have and take the opportunity to take time off, it opens up your mind to what’s possible. What’s possible for you to explore, to learn, to enjoy. To fully live.