What do holidays mean? What are they for? Are they a reward?
The use that is usually given to holidays is to rest from work and switch off, taking the opportunity to go to those places where you are not used to going or to do those activities that, because you are working, cannot be done.
Of course, we must leave work behind when we are in this period (often so longed for) because, if we do not, we could burn out or develop the well-known burnout syndrome, for example. This makes it essential to take advantage of them and make a total disconnection, although it is not always easy.
Holidays are always welcome, whatever the situation: they are pleasing and positive. Even so, each person may "interpret" them differently.
Popularly, we tend to see them as the fruit of our effort: we have them for having done a particular job or study, for all that time we have been investing non-stop energy.
But what is your holiday really for you?
What we consider holidays to be has an influence, as we will take them in one way or another on that basis. If, for example, we interpret them as the only way we have to relax and take a break from work, it is possible that they will end up being scarce. This will affect later, when we decide to enjoy them, as we are likely to end up wanting to take advantage of them so much that we reach a point of self-demand that is not at all healthy.
With reference to the above, it can also happen that the desire for a holiday reaches a point of desperation. It can happen that, since the end of the previous holiday, one is already thinking about when the next holiday will be. In this case, the person is exhausted and simply lets the days go by until the long-awaited break arrives. And here is the key: if this happens, the most likely thing is not that a holiday is needed, but a change of life or a time of inner reflection.
This period is a moment of rupture, different from what we do on a daily basis: if you do not usually leave the house, then go somewhere; if you have been continuously connected, try to use those tools less... and if you have not paused to examine or review the latest events and how you are living, then take the opportunity to do so. The key is to isolate yourself from the everyday.
Holidays are, of course, a time of rest, a time to switch off and a few days to relax and get away from the routine, but they also are a great opportunity to reflect and consider what has happened in the last few months and what we want to do in the following months. In fact, they can be the starting point for a change in your life.
By getting out of the routine (out of that frenetic rhythm) one can analyze the situation from a different perspective and, perhaps, make some decisions to live differently.
In this way, we may return with a different energy, with more positive thoughts and new motivations that will help us to live our lives better.