How To Avoid Vacation Burnout

Did you know in summertime we see an increase in people looking for career changes? While I haven’t done a case controlled study, I think it is due to people taking time to reflect, get aligned with what matters to them, and that gets them thinking about how they spend their days… at work!

Now, if you’re like me, “vacation” are termed loosely, as our kids are busy, and so are vacations. I work hard to make them rest and recharge times so I CAN come back energized with new ideas.

Here are 5 things you can do this summer to make your time off more of a recharge:

1) Be realistic
I’m going to be honest, I’d LOVE nothing more than to devour 10 leadership books, trashy beach reads and high brow fiction, and long hikes. But vacationing with two kids is not the kind of vacation that allows for this. Whatever your season of life, or traveling companions, be realistic about what you want to do to relax. I enjoy listening to a podcast or journaling as a way to amplify my time off and make it more restful, coupled with lots of exercise and outdoor time in short bursts with my kids.

2) Get early morning light
Early morning light improves our mood, modulates our circadian rhythms, and livens up our brain. Every morning when we camp, I take a coffee out and sit with my journal or book for a few minutes. Let’s be honest, it is only a few minutes before someone wants breakfast, or a bike ride, but that few minutes is something I hold on to all year long (and I try to do it at home too).

3) Embrace the joy
It can be stressful to go on vacation (#firstworldproblems right?) The hustle, bustle, and madness of getting ready to go away and get everything squared away at work can be challenging. Wherever you can, choose the easier road, and choose the joyful thing. If it means everyone takes a dip in the lake before bed to avoid cleaning faces and hands after dinner and wrestling small kids into jammies unwillingly, I’m in. If it means the house isn’t perfectly clean before departure, so be it. It’s ok. Be present, have fun, and take a photo with your mind of these moments that you can recall later.

4) Reflect
One of the nicest things I did last summer was go for a 5km kayak ride with my close friend Alix while we were on vacation. We paddled away from shore, leaving the kids and dads to their beach fun. The water was clear and you could see right to the bottom to the granite rocks below. When we reached the island we were paddling for, we stopped for a swim and a chat. We talked about the things we loved about our lives right now, and what we wanted in the future.

I’d encourage you to think about what you’re loving about your life right now too, and what you want more of and less of in the coming year. Sometimes change comes to you like a lightning bolt idea, and other times the answer is “I’m in the exact right place.” Our 5 days of coaching clarity is a great one for prompts- available free here.

5) Scroll intentionally
I wish I was one of those fab people who do an electronics cleanse during vacations. I don’t. But what I do is set my intentions. I scroll through things that matter to me, and avoid topics and sites/apps that are upsetting or negative to avoid eliciting a secondary trauma response. I do scroll through things that might inspire me, get my mind thinking. If you’re thinking of a career swap, why not focus on a VSGD community, or LinkedIn, or search the company profiles on VSGD.co?

I hope your vacation allows you all the things you need: rest, relaxation, joy, activity, time outdoors and time spent with people or pets you love.

If you want to get in touch about coaching for your business or career, check out our coaching page here. We offer free discovery calls where we chat through your needs and discuss if coaching is right for you, or another resource!