Finding a semblance of your routine while you’re on vacation takes quite the effort. I’m currently typing out this blog in a pantry loaded with kids’ snacks next to a window out to a goat pen.
Lovely; but not what I’m used to.
In these two quick first days in Arizona, I’ve realized one crucial thing which must be done if you want to be be somewhat productive while you’re away: You must set clear boundaries with the people/person you’re staying with.
Luckily I’m staying with one of my best buddies. His values and understandings closely align with mine, so he was just as pleased with the boundaries as I was. But if you aren’t so lucky, you must not back down. These boundaries are not meant to restrict you from enjoying yourself; they are meant to free you up to do the things you know will make you happy.
Since I’m incredibly unhappy when I slack on this blog and my daily vlog, I declared my two rules when my buddy picked me up from the airport:
I don’t want to sacrifice sleep. Sleep is the free medicine which affects every single thing we should care about: mood, memory, creativity, clarity, sharpness, energy, metabolism, humor…Getting bad sleep just to stay up and drink or party will just result in us not being able to enjoy the next day as much. Staying up with friends makes me happy; but getting up early with friends, writing, drinking coffee, and making breakfast while full of energy makes me even more even more happy.
I’m prepared to break diet, but my body can’t afford to eat garbage all week. One of the gifts and curses of being a fairly healthy person for a long period of time…is that when you destroy your body with garbage, it will begin to malfunction. When I go on trips, I assume there will be times where I “consume poison,” but when I overdo it for the entire week, there have been times where I thought I was going to have to check myself into the hospital. My blood sugar spikes, my energy drains to zero, my happiness and motivation levels drop to nothing. In other words, sugar and carbs make me happy from time to time, but if that’s all I’m eating, then I become a ball of misery.
When you are placed into an unfamiliar situation or setting, how to you keep your structure? Do you set up boundaries, rules, etc? Reach out and let me know!