I recently went on a 2 week holiday to Menorca and even after everything I have learnt on my own therapy journey, through studying hypnotherapy, and working with my clients, I still underestimate the importance and value of taking a break.
Like many people my last ‘real’ holiday abroad was 2019. I have been on breaks in the UK during the last 2 years but not the sort of holiday where your biggest decision for the day is what sun lounger to lie on for the next 8 hours or so and what restaurant to go to for dinner (all important decisions of course)….and boy did I need it. I honestly didn’t realise how much.
A lot happens in a normal year and this type of holiday is my salvation…its where I recuperate and recharge and I know although many see it as a luxury, for me it is a necessity. I am happy to forgo other things in my life to make a holiday a possibility. A week is never long enough for me to unwind and enjoy before it is time to come home again, eleven nights to two weeks is my sweet spot. But this holiday, I think like many, I had underestimated what we have all been through the last couple of years. On top of all the anxieties and stresses the pandemic has caused; am I and my loved ones going to be ok? Are we going to get sick? How bad will it be if we do? Do we get vaccinated? And all the strange situations we have been forced to deal with; wearing a mask, working from home, not seeing loved ones, not being able to socialise. Like many, I have also gone through some big life changes during this time. For me, the lockdown gave me time to stop and breath for a moment and really look at the life I was creating for myself. It gave me time off of a rat race, and for that I will be forever grateful. I realise my experience of the pandemic is not the same as many others and the fact that myself and all my loved ones made it through fairly unscathed, I will also be forever grateful for.
Since March 2020, I have changed my job / career, moved house (they don’t say this is one of the most stressful things you can do for no reason!) to a completely new area, made new friends, lost old ones, put new boundaries in place to protect my new found inner peace, have been studying relentlessly and I have completely changed the way I live. All of these big life events whilst dealing with a pandemic and all that that brings with it…and no holiday for 3 years….yet it still hadn’t clicked how much I needed this break.
Before I went away I was feeling tired, a bit stressed (things that normally wouldn’t bother me were bothering me), I was forgetting things and making silly mistakes. I wasn’t seeking joy in the world around me, such as the beautiful flowers and the colour of the trees. I had somehow managed to get back on the rat race which I had promised I wouldn’t do but sometimes we all default back when the stakes feel high.
After a cancelled flight (whilst staying at the airport the night before) 8 hours before scheduled take-off and much debate with my husband as to whether it was actually worth trying to book new flights and get there (what if we get there but our suitcases don’t?!) we made it. I had let my energy tank run to zero and I only had enough in my reserves to get me there. I didn’t have enough to deal with a cancelled flight and at this point it did quite honestly feel like the end of the world. My husband stepped in and arranged new flights and car parking and I am so glad and grateful he did. It is safe to say that after the first few days of walking around like a zombie (what does one actually wear to breakfast on holiday?! Is a bikini appropriate attire for the breakfast buffet?! It has been so long since I have needed to think of such things…) I SLEPT! I was sleeping for like maybe 9-10 hours of a night…getting up, having breakfast and sleeping until lunch. It was definitely a sleep, eat, repeat kinda situation going on for the first week. And when I wasn’t asleep I was staring into a beautiful blue sky trying to process all that has happened and changed and let some of the built up tension melt from my body.
It was HOT! We had made all these lovely plans to hire a boat, go to a water park and when each new day came we would just look at each other and be like ‘nah…more snoring and dribbling on the sun lounger?! Yes please!’.
The days all rolled into one and two lovely long weeks went past of complete relaxation, sleep, leisurely swimming in the pool to cool off and good food. It was over before we knew it and my only regret was not anticipating how much I needed the break. I wish we had not made so many plans and just enjoyed the holiday for what it was – a complete and utter break. A re-fresh, a re-start, a re-boot and a re-charge. As there was slight guilt at our complete overindulgence in relaxation. I know right…even after I have learnt and know the importance of it!
Returning to the UK I felt like a different person. I feel ready for whatever the next year brings. I feel much more able to cope calmly and mindfully. I feel excited about what the next year holds, I have far more energy and my zest for life has returned.
This isn’t a blog for me to brag about my wonderful holiday. I am trying to be completely honest about how even though I have learnt how necessary it is to relax, I still underestimate its power. Relaxation and rest really is the key to a happy and successful life and sometimes a break from our busy, sometimes chaotic lives is all we need to see the wood through the trees and gain some clarity on our next move or big decision we are pondering, or even give us the energy to deal with whatever life throws at us next. With a little relaxation and stress relief, happiness and joy can be found in even the most difficult of times.
Until next time Menorca! When we promise to explore more of your beauty….