Why having a break is definitely worth it!
- by Sam
- Categories: Priorities, Self Care, Wellbeing, Wellness
If you have read a few of these blogs before you will likely already know that I am a bit rubbish at having a break and holidays in general. We don’t go often because we like home and dislike the travelling. (This particular element was further cemented for me after driving past a lorry fire *shudders*)
Anyway – we had a gift for Christmas of a couple of nights away of our choosing so we braced ourselves and went for it. Derbyshire here we come!
My lovely husband loves walking, especially where there is a hill involved. How we have lasted 28 years I will never know as this is my worst nightmare! Nevertheless, I was a big brave girl and decided I could steel myself for a couple of days.
There is no doubt that the scenery and the English countryside is breathtakingly stunning – and we had gorgeous weather so there really wasn’t anything to not like. Even the hills looked amazing, dammit!
But having a break. Down time. Holiday. Taking a rest from work. Ugh, not for me thanks. Or is it…
We have had lots to occupy our headspace over the last 18 months, two years maybe. Just ‘life’ stuff, but some of it was pretty big and took up a lot of room. So maybe this time having a break would genuinely do us good. Not being surrounded by all the normal things that reminded us what needed to be done, all those jobs that we hadn’t got round to yet, that we couldn’t yet afford to do, people we needed to catch up with, weeds to pull up and so on and on..
It turned out that we were able to switch off – I think probably because we knew it was only two nights – nothing would spoil if we put it down for just two nights surely? Of course it bloody wouldn’t!
What absolute bliss it was just to sit in the grounds of our stunning accommodation reading our books whilst we waited for it to be time to take a leisurely drive out to a posh restaurant (linked here, it was stunning!) for a gorgeous meal cooked by someone else. We walked and climbed (go me!), meandered and strolled whilst we chased and soaked up the beautiful views. 
A wonderful side effect of this novel way of being was that my head cleared of all the noise and jumble that was rattling around inside it. My fab new job that I am still learning how to do – it was parked out of my minds reach. My business and the new things I’m planning – parked out of my minds reach. The work we are having done on the house this week now we are back – parked out of my minds reach. What a revalation!
We filled our heads instead with beautiful views, birdsong in the gardens, trying to read maps (nope, still can’t do that), chants of ‘I can do hard things’ when climbing a hill and so much more. We went shopping, stopped for tea and cake when we fancied, wandered around little villages and towns, saw ducks, cows, sheep and loads of buzzards and kites.
The noise was gone and instead I felt relaxed and content. Two nights was enough for us both, we wanted to come home but we certainly weren’t desperate to do so. Did I use my pulse point oils to aromatically anchor myself to this blissful feeling? Of course I did – have you met me?? My blend of choice for this was the exquisite Meet Mother Earth – this was the perfect oil for being surrounded by nature and immersing myself in the green lushness that surrounded me. Just a couple of minutes taking in all the sights and sounds, getting myself as relaxed as I could possibly be, then on goes the pulse point oils and it was a perfect match.
Now there will be lots of you reading this that regularly have two weeks in the sun somewhere gorgeous and are thinking I’m quite mad for making such a big deal about a couple of nights away, just a few hours up the road. I do get that! But we are all different and that’s my favourite thing about people, our differences and our alternative way of thinking about things. Neither way is right or wrong, it’s just different.
One day maybe you will find us on a white sandy beach with crystal clear water lapping at our toes (that actually sounds AMAZING!) but until they invent teleportation I think it’s unlikely.
The result of our little break was this – I came home refreshed and rested and that alone feels EPIC! Hitting the pause button and doing something different made a real difference to how I used my brain I think – I wasn’t constantly in planning, thinking, doing mode but rest, recuperate and daydream mode. Who knew how amazing that could feel? Not me!
I’d love to know your favourite way of having a break from the ‘daily grind’ – whether that be snatching 10 minutes in your garden, an hour walking in the fields where you live or jetting off for a five week holiday somewhere exotic – it’s all valid if we are able to switch off I’ve learned!
Until next time,
love and light,
Sam xxx
