Look no further.
When was the last time you completely unplugged from work and truly relaxed while on holiday…?
When we constantly have this idea of wanting to “optimize” ourselves and our time, it can be difficult to switch off. But I have good news for you! You can “improve” yourself (boost productivity, increase creativity etc) while enjoying your holiday!
This is how you maximize the benefits of holiday on your brain:
The brain prefers a mix of 1) “relaxed wakefulness” – that state of meditative bliss that generally requires being unplugged – and 2) “play,” which occurs when the brain is engaged in some fun, new activity.
1. Being unplugged means switching your phone off as you will engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations this way. The mere awareness that a phone is turned on and close by leads to distracted, lower-quality interactions as even just wondering about what might be happening on your phone – even if you don’t look – means your brain is multi-tasking. The reason why we have better conversations when the phone is turned off is that we are most efficient when we are focused on one thing at a time. And devoting our full attention on something is like meditation. You know that feeling of being in a flow when biking for hours… or whilst playing the piano- it’s the same thing.
The benefits are the same as if you were meditating: anxiety levels go down, you look at things from a more rational, logical, and balanced perspective, and you boost your ability for empathy and for evaluating situations from someone else’s perspective.
Allow your brain to wander and you’ll be rewarded with greater problem-solving abilities, better ideas, and, potentially, important breakthroughs!
2. Engage in a new activity! It’s a great way of getting rid of the kind of tunnel vision that a tired mind can develop after a year of going through work tasks and family routine. Your mind needs variety to recalibrate and dig new neuropathways that will freshen and broaden your perspective. So, stay away from work related content!
And – why not try a new sport activity?
… now that you’ve read this, turn off your phone and go put your feet up! 😊
