Last week, I should have been packing my bags. I'd been planning a trip to Europe for over a year and was excited about visiting friends and exploring new cities. Instead, the airline canceled my flights, and I'm not permitted to enter most European countries. I'm not sure when I'll be on a plane again.
While it's tempting to keep working and skip summer vacation this year, I feel stress from the coronavirus pandemic. I need time to rest and recover so that I return to work re-energized. I need a vacation.
It is easy to skip summer vacation this year, especially if you've canceled travel plans. A staycation may be less appealing since many of us are at home all the time now. Many of us don't want to take precious annual leave when we can't go anywhere.
The risk of taking this approach and just skipping vacation is that we will wear ourselves down. As a result, we may experience common characteristics of low resilience, such as low energy, irritability, and getting sick. During a crisis, we must maintain high resilience to remain adaptable and flexible despite the adversity.
Here are some suggestions on how to take a vacation during a global pandemic:
Make It Short
If it feels like a waste of annual leave to take off work without going somewhere, take just a few days that coincide with a weekend or holiday. A four or five day weekend is often enough time to feel refreshed.
Go on Day Trips
Research day trips you can take without risking exposure to the coronavirus. Pack a picnic and have lunch in a park. Hike local trails. Drive through new neighborhoods and look at the homes. Research a small town close by and go exploring.
Play Games
Pull out your old board games or playing cards and declare a game day. If you’re on your own, see if friends or family will join you virtually. Have a tournament with prizes at the end of the day.
Turn Your Home into a Hotel
Create a minibar, give yourself turndown service, and set out a happy hour buffet. Grab a beach towel and sunbathe in your backyard. Give yourself a spa pedicure. Sleep in and "order" a room service breakfast. Treat yourself to unique cocktails and meals you can have delivered.
Movie Binge
Spend a day watching your favorite movies. Think about where you were and who you were with when you first saw each movie.
Travel Back in Time
Spend a day or two reviewing your old travel photos. Consider creating scrapbooks or virtual slideshows for each of your previous trips.
Take a Virtual Trip
Many of the world's most famous tourist attractions have live webcams and video feeds. Select your favorite sites, either from previous trips or places you want to visit, and take a virtual trip to see them.
Read a Travel Book
Immerse yourself in a good travel book for a day or two. Check out this website for the best travel books of all time.
Plan Next Year’s Vacation
Spend some time planning for next year. Research possibilities. Set your dates and map out your itinerary. Anticipation is half the fun when it comes to vacations.
What are you doing for vacation this summer?
I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.