How to take a 5 minute vacation – I love a vacation don’t you, a great chance to rewind and rest.
If you’ve never discovered the value of taking a five minute vacation while at work, you’ve been missing out on experiencing one of the best ways to relieve daily stress. You’ve probably experienced returning from a break only to discover that there just wasn’t enough time to unwind and then enjoy yourself.
By the time you finally got away from the phones and all the minutiae of life, your need for mental and physical relaxation was so great that it took almost the entire week just to be able to relax. About the time you were starting to enjoy yourself, the vacation was over.
The whole idea behind taking a vacation is to disconnect from life as you know it and immerse yourself in a world where you have no responsibilities other than relaxing, eating great food, and having a good time. But if you are like many Americans today, the increased stress levels in your daily life are too great for you to recoup during an average vacation. In reality, you end up needing time to de-stress to get ready for your vacation.
How to take a 5 minute vacation
A five minute vacation is really a stress management tool that allows the part of your brain that predominately solves problems and thinks analytically to take a break. While your left brain goes on a mini-vacation, your right brain takes over.
The right side of the brain stimulates your creativity and allows you to, not just focus on facts, but imagine and daydream. Just five minutes operating out of the right brain can rejuvenate you and leave you feeling more relaxed. Here are two really great ways to take a five minute vacation.
1. Find a peaceful location like a par, flower garden, or even just a patch of grass in the sunshine. Sit down and close your eyes. Let your five senses help you explore your surroundings by asking questions like these: “What can I smell? What do I hear? Can I taste anything in the air around me? What is my body touching? How does feel?” Then open your eyes and ask, “What do I see around me?”
Remain where you are and gaze slowly around you while asking yourself the same questions again. Concentrate on smells, sounds, textures, tastes, and sights around you. Now breathe in through your nose and slowly exhale. Do this two more times. When you’re ready, get up quietly and return to your normal routine.
2. If you are unable to actually remove yourself from your environment, close your door. Find a comfortable place to sit. Uncross your legs and sit back, while closing your eyes. Now think about where you would most like to be at the moment. Then picture yourself in that setting. If, for instance, you wish you were at the ocean shore, go there in your mind’s eye.
Stroll down the beach until you find a comfortable place to sit. Once seated, use the same questions given above to explore your inner world. Linger and allow yourself to re-experience sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. Breathe in through your nose and slowly exhale. Pause, and repeat this process two more times. When you are ready, open your eyes. Remind yourself that you can take a five-minute vacation whenever you feel the need, then return to your day.
A 5 minute vacation is a win!
A five minute vacation is an opportunity to combat daily stress. Taking advantage of these mini-mental health breaks is one of the best was to avoid burnout and stress exhaustion. Start taking a five minute vacation at least once a day and the next time you get a week away, you may find yourself more emotionally and physically ready to enjoy every minute.
