Vacation Prescription for Relaxing

Vacation Prescription for Relaxing

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a Doctor of Counseling Psychology, Doctor Lori Ben-Ezra. We spoke of many things, but the one point I perceived from her was the importance of taking scheduled time off from regular work. A Vacation Prescription for Relaxing, that is.

It’s wonderful to have that 1, 2, or 3-week vacation, once a year. But we don’t take advantage of our long weekends such as New Year’s, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Many of these holidays come with a 3 or 4-day weekend. Let’s focus on those days, since they do give us the opportunity to have a 2-night getaway, plus one night back home to recoup.

The Perfect Getaway

Here is what I understood from my conversation with Dr.Ben-Ezra:

The perfect getaway would be leaving on Friday and staying that night and Saturday night, then coming home on Sunday night. On Monday, relax all day as you get ready to go back to work on Tuesday. I found three possible ways for the perfect RX getaway during the holidays.

I also understand that a “1-night mini-cation” may not be enough time to recharge the mental batteries. A 3-night would be too long, as guilt of being away from work starts to set in. Hence, the perfect mini-cation would be 2 nights long.

Clinical psychologist Deborah Mulhern writes: “What neuroscience is showing is that we require down time in order for our bodies to go through the process of restoration. It is only when we are safe from external stresses that our bodies can relax enough to activate restoration.”

South Florida residents are a lucky bunch of potential relaxers. They have a place only 60 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale called Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. This is the perfect spot to get your relax on. There is a ferry cruise that leaves for the Bahamas most days of the week. So you take a 1-day or a 1, 2, or 3-night getaway cruise.

Jay Taylor