The Value of Vacation

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

06 Jun 2008 06:53 PM

One of the drawbacks of being a freelancer is that just about every day is a work day for me. If I'm not writing, I'm at the cats-only boarding facility -- a job I took mainly so I'd have some work outside the home, and a chance to interact with people. There are many days when I do both.

This week, I took two days in a row off. I wrote ahead so my clients would have their projects covered. Time off was scheduled from the cats-only boarding facility.

I had absolutely nothing to do.

It was great. I didn't really go anywhere on my vacation -- I did some cleaning, visited a few friends, walked the dogs, read, and even wrote a short little story. Nothing all that special, and really none of those things were things I couldn't do if I was working.

But the absence of stress... THAT was the special part. I put a lot of pressure on myself to always be working, and always feel like I should be doing MORE than I already do. It can wear a person down. Add in other life stresses, and I was having monster headaches, trouble sleeping, and bouts of depression.

On those two days, I gave myself permission to just relax and have fun. On those two nights, I slept better than I had in weeks. And the best part? The benefits have continued. I'm still sleeping well. I'm back to work with a little more energy and a little less of that burned-out feeling. I'm smiling a lot more.

Looking back, the last time I took more than one day off at a time was January. I think next time, I'm not going to wait so long between vacations! Call it what you will -- rest, a mental break -- your body needs that little space of NOTHING once in a while in order to recharge.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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