The Psychological Power of Stepping Away from Routine
My holiday started two days ago, so I thought I'd share with you all that holidays are a wonderful thing. It's a word that brings such a sense of relief and happiness to the heart. It brings peace of mind, knowing that we've finally gotten a break from our busy lives. We automatically enter a relaxed and happy mood and start planning where to go. This time, I'll be going to Delhi for my holidays. I've been wanting to visit Delhi for a long time. Holidays are a very important part of our lives because they relieve the pressure of our busy lives, even if only for a few days. They break the routine we follow and remind us that we weren't created just to work but also to live.
For me, a holiday isn't just about taking time off. My idea of a holiday is coming home, eating my mother's home-cooked food, and simply being at home. For a few days, I wake up in the morning and eat the special meals my mom prepares, because the food at the hostel wasn't very good. Even now, a holiday for me isn't just about sitting at home. I spend a few days at home, then I make some nice plans with my friends, and then I go somewhere and truly enjoy my life. You only get a few days in life where you can travel and be completely stress-free, and you should cherish those moments because they won't come again. You should always travel. We're just like machines, working constantly. We wake up every day, follow the same routine, and just work.
Holidays bring back that human feeling for us. Emotionally, mentally, and physically, we go to a new place, see the local people, experience the place, and understand its history. I really enjoy that. As soon as summer vacation started in my childhood, we would get so excited because school was closed, the stress of waking up early was gone, and the stress of being in school all day was gone. We were free to roam around all day. We could wake up late and watch cartoons until noon. We would hang out with our friends until the evening, and whenever we had holidays, we would go to our grandmother's house. We would stay there and spend time with our cousins. There was no timetable, no worries, just pure fun, and I still remember that. I always used to go to the village. I would play cricket, football, and volleyball there. I would roam around with my cousins, having fun all day because I didn't have much stress back then, and there was no school stress.
If I were in Kolkata, I would hang out with my friends, roam around, and have a lot of fun. I never studied during summer vacation; I would just watch TV all day. But as we grow older, we no longer have summer vacations; school is over. There are no summer vacations in college. Then, gradually, we joined internships, where there are no summer vacations either. Then we joined a job. There are no summer vacations there either. So, in a way, the number of holidays decreases. Even though we still get a lot of holidays—we have Saturdays and Sundays off, and we only have to work 5 days a week—it still gets very stressful because we have to meet so many deadlines, there are so many meetings, and there is so much work. Sitting in front of a laptop for 8 hours a day is not an easy thing, especially five days in a row. And if we don't take breaks, we get very burnt out.
It almost feels like our mental health is severely affected. Holidays recharge us mentally, which allows us to go back to work with more focus and more energy, and this is very important. One thing I've noticed is that whenever you return to the office after a vacation or a long break, you have a renewed energy. You're more creative, you interact better with everyone, and you're much more focused because your mind is coming from a very positive place, filled with happiness. And you get that feeling of rejuvenation that helps you for several days. You feel very energetic. You work all day, and even when you're sleeping, you think about what a great time you had. You share your travel experiences with everyone—where you went and what you did—and it gives you a unique feeling. It releases a certain feeling in your mind that benefits you for a long time and helps you be more productive.
And I would say that there's no such thing as the "best time" for a holiday, and some people think that during a holiday you should just stay at home. They think you shouldn't go out. Those people are wrong. Whenever you get a holiday, even if it's just for a few days, take time off from the office, even if you have to lie to get it. But a holiday is actually like an investment. It's for your mental peace, physical health, and emotional balance. If you don't give yourself a break, your mind becomes restless. You can get burned out, which can lead to illnesses. If you stay in the same place for too long, you won't feel very good, and you'll feel like you're stuck in a rut. But if you take a holiday in that same place, and you enjoy it a lot, it will send a very positive signal to your mind, and it will recharge you. Holidays remind us that we don't just work to survive, but we also work to live our lives. A holiday gives everyone equally what they need.
Posted Using INLEO