How to Vacation Right (In My Opinion)
Do you feel like you need another vacation when you get back from vacation? I certainly have, and have learned from this. In my opinion, this is a sign you’re doing it wrong. Chances are, you’re doing way too much.
I’m currently writing this blog from my in-laws house in Brazil. I love coming here because it is so relaxing. It would be easy to just fall into a rhythm of doing nothing, watching tv/movies, staying up late and partying. These are the behaviors that lead to feeling like you need another vacation when you get home. Don’t get me wrong, there is some of that, but it’s not the center or the priority of my vacations now. It’s the exception, not the rule.
I’ve shifted my mindset, over the years, of how to maximize my down time. I think of it as similar to having an injury. Many people wrongly think you just need to rest. While rest is good, it doesn’t mean you should do nothing. You’re still supposed to move, just not in ways that aggravate the injury. This is what we mean by ‘active recovery’. This is how I see vacations now, active recovery.
This brings me to a great quote by the stoics:
“Leisure without study is death - a tomb for the living person.”
Seneca
Modern life is hectic. Especially if you have kids, a business or job, difficult family dynamics, etc. We live in a constant state of sympathetic activity. It’s even in our language, “my nerves are fried”. This is accurate, the nervous system is chronically in overdrive. This has consequences, it inhibits our sleep, makes us short tempered, drives up blood sugar, inhibits wound healing, and leads to burn out. Like an injury, it can take you out.
So now, when I vacation, I try my best to flip the nervous system switch. I seek as much parasympathetic stimulation as possible. Again, this doesn’t mean do nothing; there are tons of behaviors that are active and parasympathetic such as going for a walk, or reading a book. This becomes my time to catch up on those books I’ve been meaning to read, or to actually pay attention to my step count.
Cold plunging, saunas, and massage are all amazing options too. So I try to spend the majority of my time in a parasympathetic state. I think of it as rebalancing the nervous system. However I do spend some time doing “eustress” activities. Eustress is something that pushes you a bit, and you come back stronger. Lay outside in the sun for 30 minutes or so, you get a tan. That tan is like a defense to the sun. This is eustress. A distress would be to lay out in the sun for hours and get burned. This is damaging and not useful.
Much like riding a bike, it initially raises your heart rate, but then you get to enjoy a lower average resting heart rate. Cold plunges work this way too. It technically initially is sympathetic, but as soon as you get control of your breath, it becomes parasympathetic.
I always want to include some form of movement on my vacations. I usually bring my suspension straps and a couple of exercise bands. You can get a lot done with those items and they take up minimal space in your luggage. I’m not trying to be covered in sweat, rather I think of it as joint lubrication, blood flow, and just generally feeling good.
There are activities that I have to do when I’m home that I know are not great for long term health that I try to avoid as much as possible. This includes avoiding cell phones and tvs when eating (inhibits digestion), rushing around, and being under slept. I do my best to catch up on sleep (this is priority number 1), eating with family and connecting, and to try to do less in a day. I enjoy writing, so this has become a bit of a daily habit. This is my time to do what makes me happy, and drops my blood pressure.
Often my patients ask what exercises they should do while on vacation. I think the KISS principle works well here. Keep it simple, keep it realistic. I generally recommend picking one thing to focus on. Have a hamstring that’s extra tight? Make that your one movement priority. I don’t recommend aiming for hour-long workouts and then getting upset with yourself when you don’t do it. That sets you up for failure. I’d rather have more little bouts of movement then chunking it into one sweaty hour. I like the idea of “exercise snacks”. Doing a set of 20 air squats after a meal is a great example, and a great way to improve insulin sensitivity.
Or, one of my favorite options is the 27 squat drill. This is quick and easy, works on ankle and hip mobility, and you get 27 squats in. See below:
In fact, the last time I visited Brazil, I made a suspension strap program because it piqued my creative interest. If you want to check it out, click below:
Once I shifted my mindset to a “do less” principle, I noticed that I was able to reflect on my life more. Similar to looking at the horizon rather than being fixated on a phone; you get the big picture view. You come to understand what is of value this way. It reminds me of when I used to work in a scuba shop. The boat would take us and some tourists to the desired location. Then we would just shake our heads as all the new divers would just swim around as fast as possible to cover as much territory as they could, soaking up their air and only seeing more sand. The more experienced divers knew that the boat took you to that location for a reason. Once the boat cuts the engine and the sand settles, all the eels, lobsters, octopus, and beautiful fish come out from their respective hiding places.
A little quote I came up with:
“Life is simple. We make it complicated and then we are surprised that it’s complicated.”
The bottom line is be gracious with yourself. Use your down time wisely and treat it like a neurologic reset. Come home rested, and a better version of yourself, and you won’t get that feeling like you need a vacation from vacation.