“I just want to lay around by the pool and read,” one of my friends told me recently, describing her hopes for an upcoming family vacation. “I’m really hoping I can get everyone else on board with my ‘imitate slugs’ plan.”

She and I were emailing while I was in the car riding home from a trip where I’d done just that: lay around. Swim. Read. There was lots of visiting family and catching up happening, too, of course–but no schedules. And for my part, I brought an old tablet but no laptop. This meant that I could write, but really could not expect myself to edit images, work on my website, or even log on to Facebook without struggling to remember or change the password. Not having the capability for extra work really reduced my distraction and nerves!

That said, it’s only in recent years that I’ve gotten the hang of this kind of vacation. I love travel, I love sightseeing, and I’m used to “vacation” meaning “we’re going to see every corner of a new place and when we come home we’ll want to sleep for two days.” That kind of trip definitely has its merits, don’t get me wrong! But sometimes, you just need to let yourself be a little sluggish. You might find a renewed sense of self and self-kindness when you do.

But how do you achieve that, when the urge to do things and see things is so strong? Here are my suggestions . . .

  1. Set intentions up front. This is pretty basic, of course, but make sure that you and your companions are on the same page about what your vacation will look like. Choose a place that is within reach and won’t give you that “I’m missing out on the sights!” feeling–even a relative’s house or the seaside park or hotel down the street could do. Similarly, make sure that you’ve prepared to carry out your plan. For example, if you know you’ll be gone on a Friday when you would normally post a blog, schedule that ahead of time rather than planning to type something up by the pool. 😉
  2. Leave your phone and other electronics in your room. I know everyone says “limit screen time,” but seriously, please, just do it. If you physically can’t check/upload/update the thing, and it is not a necessary thing, then that thing will fade in time. Promise. 😀 Honestly, I think a big part of my sense of contentment over the weekend came from the fact that I couldn’t look to my phone to find contentment. We all know that scrolling won’t give us what we are looking for; give it a rest, at least for most of the day.
  3. Read all kinds of things. Your favorite genre, absolutely, but also try something totally new. Sometimes reading a new kind of story is more absorbing and takes more of your attention because you don’t innately know what will happen next. When I travel, I love bringing along books I’ve collected from thrift stores that caught my attention, but are perhaps a little odd or unusual: books I know I can read once and then leave behind, maybe in a Little Library or with friends. (This gives you the added bonus of an easier time packing to come home!)
  4. Listen to yourself. What thoughts reoccur? If you’re worried about something, can you address it or let it go? If you’re wanting something–like, say, a frozen cocktail or an early lunch–and you can get it, then why not go for it? There is a kind of beauty in just letting yourself be without adhering to timetables or expectations about what you should do.

And why should you bother to try any of these things? Isn’t it lazy or indulgent or irresponsible? Well, I don’t know about all that. All I can say is, it is very nice–and even necessary–to give yourself a little break from time to time. 😉

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