Sometimes pushing the “pause” button can be a good thing. Toss away your fear of missing out (FOMO) and give yourself permission to tune out the noise and tune into your inner calm. #fearlessfabulousyou
Based on the number of “OOO” messages I am receiving (as in “out of office”) this month, many people I know are on holiday. And that’s a good thing! In a 2018 study of 4,349 full-time workers in America, the U.S. Travel Association found that, despite a strong correlation between travel and happiness, more than half of Americans don’t take advantage of their vacation time.
The majority of people interviewed said that travel was beneficial to avoid feeling burnout. Yet, the main reasons people don’t travel are A) financial and B) work-related. Some people say they can’t completely take off from work without checking in. People may have the desire to take off, but have lost the ability to give themselves a break.
If you follow my social media feed, you know I travel frequently for my writing, and I enjoy it. It is still work, and I still check in regularly. However, recently I realized it was to check out, slow down and push the pause button for a bit.
I gave myself a simple experiment. It may be good one for you.
This August with only one trip planned to visit my mother in Chattanooga, I decided to just stay home and enjoy my surroundings in the Hudson Valley. I gave myself a different type of vacation: I turned off the television news and commentary. It was all becoming too depressing and upsetting and too much information overload.
It’s not that I stuck my head in the sand. I still read and stayed on top of general news and trends, but the television went silent and constant digital news feeds and social media conversations I often looked at just went ignored.
It was a mindful vacation that cost nothing and offered everything in terms of more time and peace of mind. I read books, watched movies and films, tried new recipes, lazed in bed a little longer and listen to the birds outside. It was like the summer vacation when I was young. You just went outside and payed and lazed around in your spare time.
I accomplished nothing on my lengthy “to do” list and everything on my “why not just let it go”” list. It was relaxing. And I encourage you to give it a try. Give yourself one day or a block of time to just tune out the noise and tune into yourself. Be a little selfish with your time to take care of you.
I’ve spent a lifetime working in public relations and media to make it my job to be in the know and on top of news and trends. You know what? I just gave myself more work to do and information overload.
Sometimes you just don’t need to be in the know all the time. And sometimes, it’s just nice to give yourself permission to take time off and hit the “pause button.” We don’t do it enough.
Next time you feel overloaded or in the dumps – consider the pause-ability of giving yourself a break.
