August: Last Minute Stay-Cations to Recharge YOUR Battery Before September

August: Last minute staycations to recharge your battery before September

Back when I was in “therapist school” an instructor taught us this analogy: if you are in an airplane crash, you have to breathe the oxygen before you can truly help anyone else. It is good to give yourself one thing to look forward to every day. It is also good to mindfully and deliberately craft plans for a big break before embarking on a long-term project, such as starting school, or ramping back up to 100% during the comparatively slow summer months at work.

Is self-care one size fits all? NOPE! Do what YOU enjoy. I might enjoy kayaking (or just imagining kayaking). You might enjoy packing the family in the car and driving to the ballpark for a Yankees game. Or, you might prefer a leisurely hike up a steep bit of terrain. Perhaps you are a fashionista and you prefer planning your autumn wardrobe. 

What matters is the act of mindfulness. Even the planning can cause your brain to release serotonin. Serotonin is the “all is well” chemical. By pondering a happy future, you are causing your brain to secrete serotonin, or feelings of well-being. Your brain will secrete it again when you are participating in the activity (or lack of activity) you have planned.

Are happy memories only of frantic activity? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Sometimes, it can feel great to imagine doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes it can feel great to imagine not doing the laundry. There is no shame in planning to take it easy. There is no shame in taking it easy.

What if you are locked into your schedule? Maybe you are raising young children. Can you trade off with a friend or relative? Have all the children spend one weekend with one of you,  then with your friend/relative?  What if that isn’t in the cards? Another way to enjoy a staycation is to change things up. Do the laundry on Tuesdays if you usually do it on Sundays. Enjoy that extra Sunday hour.

In the end, you can plan something fun, or plan nothing, or take on more responsibility at one moment to enjoy less responsibility during a future moment. You can also change things up. A wise person once said: a change is as good as a vacation. And, don’t underestimate the power of your mind. Planning a thing can be as much fun as doing it. And, you deserve to enjoy your life. 

You don’t have to do it alone. I am a licensed clinician. Contact me for a free 30 minute consultation. It does not have to stay this way. You deserve to feel heard. You deserve to feel happy. You deserve to feel safe. www.therapyfellows.com choose Individual and Family Therapy and use password Picture1925