There is something fractal about rest. Looking back on my own experiences, I think having several short breaks beat having elongated holidays.
My best holiday memories are intense experiences. They don’t need to be long. They need to be different.
I think the first days of my holidays are more intense than the tenth day or the eleventh day.
I don’t need to go anywhere special. I can enjoy a short break if I change my activities. Arts and hobbies can do it. Or just sitting on a patio while reading a new book.
During WWII, Eisenhower would take a few days off in the Thatched House Lodge of Richmond Park in London. During that time, the park’s rolling grasslands were ploughed up for agriculture.
I track my heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure with a Whoop fitness tracker. It tells me when I need to rest more. And it doesn’t reward me it I take a long holiday to recover from colds, long workdays, or pressure. Jessica de Bloom from the University of Groningen says, “The recuperative effects of a vacation wear off in a few weeks. You can’t store up the benefits of a long holiday any more than you can sleep 24 hours and then stay awake and alert.”
I’m looking at ways of identifying the most relaxing places. Then immersing in the moments I can get in those place. And most important, I want to ensure I can disconnect by mentally detaching from things I normally do.
I want to give myself the opportunity to have open and free-flowing thoughts. Like when hiking a mountain or when chatting with friends. I want to descend totally in space where I can interact with ideas. By just thinking.