Disconnect To Reconnect

When life gets too busy, too noisy, too crowded, or too whatever ... the best thing you can do for yourself is to get away.

Seriously ... no matter what the news media tells you about the state of our economy, there's one thing worse than impending financial doom ... your own impending doom.

What's the point of hoarding for a rainy day if you won't be alive to dance in the raindrops?

So give yourself permission to leave town for a day or two and find the balance you've been putting on hold.

Where you choose to go doesn't matter. But it must be someplace that it's not easy for you to run back to or where someone you know might find you.

Once you're there, here are a few suggestions for making the most of your time away from your life.

1 - Stick to your routine as much as possible, but don't be militant about it. Sleep in if you want to, but don't stay in bed all day.

2 - Don't stress if there's no gym or pilates class where you're going. If your hotel room has a floor, you'd be amazed at the workout you can get lifting nothing but your body weight. Pushups, situps, balancing exercises, squats, leg lifts will keep you in shape until you get back to your exercise of choice. As for transportation, walking and biking will get you where you're going while keeping your mind and body fit.

3 - When it comes to food and drink, just because it's available, doesn't mean you have to consume it. As an experienced traveller, I know the temptation of partaking in the foods and beverages of the places I visit. But if too much partaking is going to lead to bloating the next morning, and prevent me from enjoying the next day, then why bother. Everything in moderation is OK. But know when to say when.

4 - Be quiet. Practice silence. Write, listen to music, listen to your thoughts, let go. Turn off the television.

5 - Doing nothing is sometimes more productive than doing too much. Don't be tempted to fill your day or plan it down to the minute. Have a plan, but plan for spontanaeity.

6 - Listen for messages from the universe. A conversation with a perfect stranger could be your inspiration for a book, a book you pick up to read might offer a solution to a nagging problem you've been struggling with, a song you hear might help you see things from a different perspective.

If you take this time for yourself, you'll find it takes just a couple of days away from your life before you start missing it.

And that, my friends, is the greatest reward of getting away ... remembering that what you left behind is priceless.