I've known for a while I needed a real break and a staycation wasn't an option. Since I blog and write at home, my home, although I love it, is actually Workplace #2 for me. Once I got the time off from Workplace #1, I knew I'd have to leave to really get the rest and relaxation I needed. Fortunately for me, my dad has a time share and I was able to get away for a week for next to nothing.
I went to Edisto Island, South Carolina, right on the coast. There are no major attractions. There was no nightlife, just a nice beach and some historical plantations and history on the island. For me, it was perfect. I spent my days on the screened in porch journaling and reading. I had daily walks on the beach. I slept in. I ate great seafood. It was restorative and peaceful. It was exactly what I needed.
Now that I'm back, my challenge is to figure out how to keep my stress level from careening to the heights it climbed to before I left.
- Appreciate the quiet. I found that I wasn't using the television or radio as background noise. I journaled and read in complete silence. It was nice.
- Stop rushing. The pace on the island was a lot slower. It tookdo's. I might even try to leave for work a few minutes earlier.
- Decompress on a daily basis. At the end of the day, I would treat myself to a long bath. I do this at home too and it does make a difference.
- Let it go. I realized, as I had a lot of time to walk and think, that I carry a lot of stuff with me that I don't need to carry: workplace woes, other people's drama, things I make into a big deal that really aren't. The most important thing I need to learn to do is let those things go. To paraphrase the Serenity Prayer: I need to change what I can, let go of what I can't and have the wisdomto know the difference.
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