Do you take holidays? If so what do they mean to you?
August is holiday time - this would appear to be an established fact nowadays - everywhere you ring these days the reply is to call back in September. But does everybody really take holidays? What do holidays really mean?
My limited impression of holidays is from an observers view of the comments people make about their holidays. Here are some of the most frequent ones:-
'Can't wait till the holidays - best two weeks of the year.'
'Can't afford holidays but am going to get a loan and go anyway.'
'Hate going back to work after my holidays.'
The dictionary defines a holiday as 'A day free from work that one may spend at leisure.' 'A religious feast day; a holy day.' It is interesting that the word 'holiday' comes from holy-day which, for those who went to religious schools in Ireland, meant a day off school.
Since we can no longer take Sunday for granted as a weekly 'holiday' or 'holy-day' maybe it is time to re-think our concept of 'holiday.' Whether holy or not, the idea of a day of rest or leisure per week sounds like a healthy one. There is a nice rhythm to it and results in a ratio of 6:1 or 16.6% leisure. By comparison two weeks holiday a year is a ratio of 365:14 or 3.83%. In contrast to just having every Sunday free this does not sound like a very good deal!
Numbers are great to make things crystal clear. We could say we have been misled by the massive focus on the annual summer holiday. So what can we do about it. My suggestion is to think first. 'Why?' You might rightly ask. Well if we take it in stages you will see.
Rest and leisure - yes we all need this. But first it is worthwhile to think and figure out how much rest do you need per week / month / year to unwind in a healthy way and return refreshed to resume your lifes work - regardless of whether you are employed or not.
It seems to be different for everyone - what is rest for one can be stressful for another. So there is no one 'holiday' that will suit everyone. Some enjoy having the chance to spend some leisure time at home, and this does not necessarily mean doing nothing. Many people get great satisfaction and enjoyment from gardening for example. Others may see this as hard labour.
These simple examples hopefully will get your thinking started with the overall aim to help you to discover what is restful and refreshing to you in particular. When you find this out the next step is to try it to see how you respond to your personalised 'holiday' prescription - does it work for you. If not, try out some of your other ideas till you find what suits you best.
When you do - what about making it a regular slot in your week - and aim for the old ratio of 6:1 to see if this is worthwhile for you. Whichever you choose I hope you enjoy your discovery.
I welcome your comments or quesitons in confidence to info@psyche.ie or call me on 353-86-8545407.
