Want to hear something crazy? There were 768 million vacation days that went unused last year in the U.S. alone. “Wait, what?!” You’re probably thinking.
That’s right. Our lovely friends, family, neighbors, maybe even you yourself willingly forfeited 768 million days they could’ve been paid to be sailing around Greece, snorkeling in Hawaii, reading at a park, hanging with their kids and pets, or doing dozens of other fun, relaxing things.
Instead, they gave up their fully earned paid vacay days and clocked into the 9-5 grind.
Tsk, tsk.
There’s nothing more reinvigorating than a vacation. It’s healthy for our bodies, minds and spirits to break routine and change things up.
Not to mention, explore the world, appreciate other ways of living and remind ourselves there’s SO much more to life than work and home life.
It may feel early in the year to be encouraging vacations (especially if you’re still putting away decorations from the holidays and just now getting back into a routine!). But each year’s a chance to do things better than the last, and it’s important we don’t do a repeat of 2019’s lost vacay days.
Plus, some vacations need months of planning, so it’s a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to figure out the details. And there’s nothing better than having something to look forward to!
So your mission this weekend is to carve out some time and …
1. Count up how many vacation, personal and sick days you get this year. If you work for yourself, stay home with the kids or there’s any other reason you don’t get paid vacation days, go ahead and gift yourself an amount you feel good about. (You deserve it!)
2. Take a few hours to plan where you’d like to go and what you’d like to do. The internet is loaded with deals for week-long trips to Tuscany, long weekends wine tasting at vineyards, or even hotels and spas near home.
On a budget? Think up some fun things to do locally that won’t stretch your wallet. Taking a vacation day doesn’t have to cost a dime if you don’t want it to. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
3. If you’re not ready to press “book,” that’s perfectly OK. You can at least get the ball rolling by deciding on the time of year, month or even week(s) you’ll take time off.
Build momentum by asking friends if they want to do a girls weekend getaway, or your partner if they’re down for a romantic adventure. You can also plan for solo vacations or sign up for retreats, workshops and group travels with like-minded people.
If you find yourself thinking that taking a vacation will only make you have that much more work to do when you return, re-frame that thought to how much fun you’ll have when you’re away.
Unplugging from work isn’t easy, but it’s necessary to recharge your body, mind, and spirit. Decide on your dream destinations and get planning.
This is YOUR year to see more, do more and enjoy more!
XO
Emily and the Savvy Team
Quote du jour
“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” ― Maya Angelou
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