It's More Than Rest and Relaxation

I recently read a poll and of the nearly 1000 people who were asked, "Do you need a vacation after your vacation?" 87% of them said yes. It is clear that the commonly stated purpose for a vacation – rest and relaxation – might not be working very well!

While most of us take vacations and look forward to them, perhaps we aren’t getting from them what we most need. But, before I get to you and me, let’s look at how some other things in our world use a break:

Bears take a long winter break – they call it hibernation. The tulip bulbs in my front flower bed have recently begun to peak through the soil. They spend ten months of the year seemingly dormant, preparing for their annual coming out party. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall and take a break, restoring their energy to grow and create new leaves in the spring. Now – getting a bit closer to home –consider breaks that more closely resemble our vacations:

Kids (and their teachers) get a break from learning around the holidays and in the spring, and, in most cases, a longer summer break as well. Sports teams take timeouts to consider where they are, decide what to do next and catch their breath. (I know, you hope your vacation is longer than a timeout!) So, what do the results of the poll and all of these examples have to do with you and your vacation or the breaks you take?

Everything.

While there are many reasons to take a vacation – to be with family and friends, explore something new, get a suntan, or – most of us come back to R & R (rest and relaxation). All of these reasons are important, but the biggest benefit from any break (whether 2 minutes or 2 weeks) should be a third R – rejuvenation.

Bears, tulips and trees are resting over the winter; but more than that they are preparing to create their purpose in the following year. Bears couldn’t succeed, tulips wouldn’t flower and the trees won’t grow without their break to rejuvenate.

Kids and teachers return to school renewed and refreshed. The burnout from several week or months is erased and they are ready to go again! And while sports teams are getting hydrated and catching their breath during the time out they are also preparing for their future success – another part of rejuvenation.

Let me ask you a question.

If 87% of people surveyed say they need a vacation after their vacation, are they getting the rest and relaxation they sought?

More importantly, are they getting the rejuvenation that they need?

Even more importantly, are you?

How to Achieve Rejuvenation

It’s one thing to tell you that a goal for your break should be to rejuvenate. (If you hadn’t considered that before, now I hope you agree.) But it’s another thing to make that happen.

Here are five things you can do to make sure that every break – long or short – helps you refresh and rejuvenate for greater vitality, energy and success.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can learn more about him and a special offer on his newest book, Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at http://RemarkableLeadershipBook.com/bonuses.asp