“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love taking a vacation. But I rarely feel desperate for one. It wasn’t always like this for me. There was a time when I felt work and perhaps life in general needed to feel hard or I wasn’t doing enough. Prioritizing my well-being or the well-being of my family felt selfish and meant that I wasn’t giving enough to my all-important work.

One of the positive results of developing a chronic illness (believe it or not I now see several) is that I had to focus on finding space in my busy life to breathe and rest. Downtime isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Creating a ‘mini vacation space’ in my everyday life doesn’t mean I’m not giving my all at my job – it means I’m able to give my best.

I recently came across this article and it sums up how I balance my work life and everyday vacation life: How to Craft a Life You Don’t Need to Escape From by Joshua Becker. The article includes several tips to achieve a life you don’t need to escape:

1. Make Relationships a Priority: I used to tell myself that I worked so hard for the sake of my son’s comfort and future. Upon reflection, I realized by focusing too much attention on my work outside of office hours that I wasn’t fully present with him. And at the end of the day, it’s most important that he feels he’s not competing for me and that I fully experience the joy of spending time with him.
2. Remove Unneeded Possessions from Your Home and Life: Think about how we overpack for trips. I usually end up wearing one or two t-shirts and a pair of jeans but pack several daily outfits changes. Simplifying allowed my shoulders to lower a couple of inches. I’m less concerned with the things around me than the joyful experiences with my family.
3. Make Your Work Your Job: This is a constant struggle – I don’t work as a lawyer, I am a lawyer. Finding an identity outside of my profession often feels impossible but I know is necessary.
4. Guard Your Time: I’m working on setting boundaries and saying no. I give 100% during office hours but can’t take on so many extra projects that I put my health at risk.
5. Take Care of Yourself: I regularly remind myself to put my oxygen mask on first.  I’m no good to anyone if I’m sick. I go for walks, I get massages. Pampering yourself is not selfish behaviour.
6. Find Happiness in Your Every Day: As I wrote in my recent post, Gone Fishing: The Joy in Having Something to Look Forward To, I’ve incorporated things to look forward to into my everyday life. The happiness I feel from the anticipation is often just as great as the event itself – and for me it can be as simple as a good cup of coffee in the morning.

Other tips are included in the article. Pursue a mind shift this summer rather than counting the days until the next vacation. The life in between vacations can be pretty restful, happy and fun too.