Take a vacation…from yourself?

While suggesting that you take a break from yourself may sound like just the opposite of self-love, this post was inspired by folks who accidentally did just that and experienced some very unexpected benefits.

Simply put,“all you need to do is” put some part of your self on hold, to experience yourself in a new way.

If you’d like a little reassurance before you hit the road, know that your usual self is never far.  When you come back from the vacation you can put everything back the way it was!

Here are just a few psychation ideas:

“The worry shmorry” vacation: this one consists of simply leaving your usual worries behind. This is one of those unexpected discoveries during vacation. Some people would recognize themselves as the worrying type and when they leave home they expect to worry someplace else or may even add new worries from a new place. Instead, some have the unexpected surprise of actually feeling better than usual, feeling calmer than usual, having left their worries behind. The change of scenery can create just enough healthy distance or disruption to the worry cues.

The important benefit: you get a taste of what you’re usually missing. The eye-opening experience comes from experiencing a life not consumed by worry. Your personal benefit? feeling more present and connected with people, noticing interests, feeling your drive and ambitions, or maybe relaxation and pleasure. A secondary benefit: when you taste the life you want, you can come back more motivated than ever to address your worrying and get onto living more fully.

“The Dr. Seus”: this one’s an invitation to be fully you, truer than true because there’s only one of you! While we may associate peer pressure with adolescence, truth is social pressures are felt throughout life. Unfortunately we can spend too much time consciously or unconsciously editing, censoring, diluting ourselves to make them more palatable, less noticeable, more pleasing, to bosses, clients, relatives even strangers! So how about a vacation from that! How about a vacation where you let yourself go (including really letting yourself go if that is your fancy), let yourself try things, wear things, say things, react to things the way you’d like to if you didn’t have your usual self holding you back.

If you need a little inspiration pick a story book character, a film star, or maybe even someone you know who looks, lives, or behaves in a way you admire and put on your best acting skills! Feel what it feels like! And then watch what happens. Huh – maybe it feels great…and no nobody dies! You’ll just have to see.

The “A! type” “Be type”: IF A types and B types were opposites (they’re really not but just for arguments’ sake) pick your opposite and vacation like one! So we know broad strokes the two types: the A’s book well ahead, have several books and sites, cross-referenced and scheduled for maximal learning and pleasure and efficiency (exaggerating for effect). The B’s loosely have a destination and a return date…the rest to be discovered. We all have our preferences. But what if, just for openness to discovery’s sake we tried on the opposite style?

Maybe the A’s would experience what happens in the quieter moments, the spaces in between, what can show up when we’re not expecting or planning it. Maybe the Be’s would enjoy just how much learning and pleasure can be packed into a day, the fun of the first choice of seats, departure times, activities, the thrills!

True you may go back to your usual style but you may “get” the other a little more and find there’s a magic combination that brings you the best of both worlds.

One more secret : you don’t have to go very far to take any of these vacations. And who knows maybe this is one of those vacations you never come back from!

Bon voyage!