Vacation Mode

Is it possible to take that laid-back feeling of relaxation one has after an incredibly chill vacation and preserve it as a daily analgesic for the fast-paced life we lead when not on holiday?  I think applying vacation mode to our day-to-day approach towards tasks, requirements and expectations without urgency or expediency, will reduce stress and improve overall mental and physical health.  

I'm currently testing out the theory.  

Forty-eight hours after the wheels touched down in Chicago from our Grecian honeymoon (albeit 2 years after the wedding) I still felt the tranquility of vacation, even though school had started for the kids and the idyllic days of summer had been spent.  Days went on and I continued to enjoy newfound quality time with my wife and kids no matter how many dishes needed cleaned, birthday gifts awaited purchase, or trees begged for trimming.  

Two weeks into it, I set aside work and household-related minutia in order to ride to the lakefront with my friend in hopes of interviewing some old diver guys for a talk-show idea that’s been churning in my head for years.  Twenty-four days post-Greece finds me luxuriating in the sunshine while sprawled out on the turf surrounding the playground at my daughter's school while she plays with any kid that is also interested in the monkey bars, instead of scheduling a play date or organizing an after-school activity. A month after returning from our honeymoon, I’m taking the time to chop up fresh vegetables each day and marinating them in an oregano-olive oil vinaigrette in order to satisfy my eternal craving for Santorini Greek Salad; not only that, but I’ve established a habit of sitting down at the table, even if by myself (sometimes with a glass of cheap Greek White Table Wine) to enjoy and savor my feast.

Five weeks have passed since the most alarmingly beautiful and tranquil vacation of my life, and I still haven't been tempted to get fired-up about another parent's action, a teenage meltdown, or a sock-stealing dog's monthly bout of diarrhea sprinkled with loss of bowel control. 

"Mom, why are you so tired all the time now?" My 7-year-old asked while cuddled up on my lap after waking me up from an early-afternoon siesta on the sofa. 

I've wondered the same thing over the last month.

"I think my body is just catching up on having not rested in the last ten years," I calmly explained. 

It's called hitting the reset button. 

Spending 10 days away from schedules and deadlines and carpools and bank balances alone allowed my mind and body to slow down to a snail’s pace.  Without external outcomes hinged on my performance, actions or even existence, I was transported to an euphoria where decisions need not be made, time was of no importance, and my next move or lack thereof had zero impact on anyone or anything.  Additionally, our vacation destination of Europe, specifically the Greek Islands, where the pace is so drastically unhurried in contrast to ours here in the states, afforded me a front-row view of perspective.  

With one lane roads where unprotected cliffs drop down to the ocean far, far below, drivers have no option but patience while waiting for cars, bikers, and busses to pass.  In a place where dining is regarded as an important social activity where good food and drink is leisurely consumed and appreciated, reveling in a two-hour meal is the norm, without rush to get the check.  The gorgeous scenery of brilliant blue sea and sky, weathered cliffs, and narrow dirt roads frosted the cake of serenity for me as I took the time to absorb my surroundings.  

I thrive in this environment.…even outside of Greece.  It turns out that a slower pace better allows me to acknowledge and honor the needs of myself in congruence with the needs of others.  Clearing my plate of non-essential motion instead of rushing from one activity or task to the next to no end, allows me to notice the signals my body sends me when it’s time to rest, eat and be active; along the same lines, my brain warns me of potential trouble, pleasure, and even over-doing it, promoting common sense actions.  Taking time to really listen to those around me, without rushing to complete the task or problem before finding out if I’m even part of the equation, is necessary for healthy relationship maintenance and growth, but is only possible for me by freeing up brain space for silence.  Overall, without a steadiness of pace, I’ll never catch the cues.

I feel transformed after Greece.  Acknowledging its beauty and peace allowed me to find the same in myself.  If I fall prey to, or more likely, spearhead, the fast and furious life again in the future, I am armed with my newfound knowledge of where the dial on my own barometer should always read to function optimally:  in vacation mode.

Check out our Greece vacation pictures.

Lay it Down for Wellness

A longtime proponent of massage therapy, and in more recent years, self-care in general, I’ve realized that a good massage can have immediate short-term effects.  Usually it’s a great way to relieve tension and pain, as well clear my head of a whirlwind of to-do’s.  When I make it a habit, regardless of the interval, I’ve found that consistent massage therapy contributes to my everyday general relaxation and mental well being.

I’ve gone to salons, hotel spas, clinics, doctor’s offices, strip mall chains, and private homes for massages.  My wife even researched massage methods to use at home in order to help alleviate the daily knee pain I had experienced for last year.  Although all different, I’ve never had a bad massage.

Before the holidays, my elementary-aged kids seemed unduly stressed out with homework and activities and friends.  While much of it was self-created with the fast pace of our lives and was controlled by the simple act of slowing down over school break, we didn’t want it to start up again in the new year when school started back up.  Our antidote was Gayle Stephens of Gayleforce Healing Massage and Bodywork.  We booked an in-home wellness day for the kids, where each child was pampered in their own informal setting with a massage.

“I love doing wellness visits,” voiced local parent and massage therapist Gayle.  “Setting up a day for kids, adults, or the whole family is super easy. We can design a session where I bring a massage table or chair, or we can just as easily work on a carpeted floor.”  

Gayle brought a mat to our house and worked her massage magic on the floor. We arranged less time for our younger child and more for our pre-teen; they fully enjoyed both their massages and the healing care they received from Gayle.  She made sure to get input from the kids on where they felt the tension/pain and even wrapped them in their own blankets after the massage.

It was incredible to see the same results in my children that I am accustomed to feeling myself after a massage.  While each child uniquely experienced the massage, both children looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.  Neither could believe how how calm and relaxed they felt after Gayle’s visit.

Wellness packages are completely customizable in scope, time, and price.  There’s a package suitable for every budget.   We learned that a little goes a long way and the kids have already asked when Gayle is coming back.  Hoping to add my body into the mix on the next visit.

To book an in-studio or in-home wellness session or for more information, call Gayle Stephens at 773-263-6887 or visit GayleForceMassage.com.