You Need To Be Taking More Mini Vacations Starting Now

In our fast-paced world, it's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget to take a break. We are constantly surrounded by people doing the same thing. Tell me this doesn’t sound familiar. You wake up, make some coffee so you don’t crash on the way to work, work your 9 to 5, drive home and pick up dinner or run by the store on your way home, eat dinner, maybe watch a show or read a bit, and then go to bed and do it again the next day. It’s necessary for a time but it gets really old and you have to switch things up. That’s where mini vacations come in. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of taking mini vacations, and how my inspiration for this post came from reading "The 4-Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss. I would highly recommend picking up this book. I’ll leave a link to it here. The 4-Hour Work Week

Will Swann @wlll

First, let's define what we mean by mini vacations. These are short breaks from your daily routine that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. They don't require extensive planning or a lot of money, and they can be as simple as taking a walk in nature or trying out a new restaurant in your city. We went to a bakery and then to our library here in town the other day for our mini vacation. And it was a lovely day!

If you need a few ideas for your getway I wrote a blog post with 10 ideas to help you brainstorm. Here you are (10 Great Mini Vacation Ideas To Recharge)

So, what are the benefits of taking mini vacations often? For starters, they help reduce stress and improve your overall mental health. When you take a break from your routine, you give your brain a chance to relax and recharge. This can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and improve your mood overall. They are an effective way to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Burnout can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness at work.

In addition, taking mini vacations can actually improve your productivity when you return to work (This is the what i would try to convince your boss of when they ask why your taking to much time off haha). When you take a break, you give your brain a chance to process information and come up with new brilliant ideas. This can lead to increased creativity and problem-solving skills when you return to your daily routine. That or your mini vacation will make you rethink your entire existance and force you into a massivley creative mindset of how to escape the rat race and make you change up the way you live your life entirely. Both are positive outcomes.

Another benefit of taking mini vacations is that they can help you build stronger relationships with your loved ones. When you take a break from your routine, you have more time to spend with your family and friends. This can lead to deeper connections and more meaningful conversations. Invite some friends to join you on a few mini vacations. I’ve gotten to know my friends so much better just sitting around a campfire until 3am.

Dave Hoefler @davehoefler

Now, let's talk about my inspiration for this post. I am currently reading through "The 4-Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss, and one of the key takeaways from the book was the importance of taking mini vacations/mini retirements. Ferriss argues that we should focus on creating a lifestyle that allows us to work less and live more. By taking mini vacations often, we can build a life that is focused on experiences and relationships, rather than just work. He also came to the realization how dumb it is that people will slave away there youth working at their jobs to hopefully have a comfortable retirement later in life when they are older and all they want to do is take it easy and not do much. If fact, most retirees are so bored in retirement they end up just continuing to work just to fill their schedules. Kind of defeating the purpose of retirment. Another option to the tradition retirment plan is to do mini retirments during your working years instead of using your youth purely for work.

Taking mini vacations often can have a positive impact on your mental health, productivity, and relationships. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or just straight up mad at your work life consider taking a short break to recharge and reset. Whether it's a day trip to a nearby city or a weekend camping trip, the benefits of taking a mini vacation are worth the investment.